10:1 Dead flies will make a bottle of perfume stink, and then it is spoiled. A little foolishness outweighs wisdom and honor.
10:2 A wise person’s heart leads the right way. The heart of a fool leads the wrong way.
10:3 Even when a fool goes walking, he has no sense and shows everyone else that he’s a fool.
10:4 If a ruler becomes angry with you, don’t resign your position. If you remain calm, you can make up for serious offenses.
10:5 There is a tragedy that I’ve seen under the sun, an error often made by rulers.
10:6 Foolish people are often given high positions, and rich people are left to fill lower positions.
10:7 I have seen slaves sitting on horses and influential people going on foot like slaves.
10:8 Whoever digs a pit may fall into it. Whoever breaks through a stone wall may be bitten by a snake.
10:9 Whoever works in a stone quarry may get hurt. Whoever splits wood may be injured.
10:10 If an ax is blunt and the edge isn’t sharpened, then one has to use more strength. But wisdom prepares the way for success.
10:11 If a snake bites before it has been charmed, then there is no advantage in being a snake charmer.
10:12 A wise person’s words win favors, but a fool’s lips are self-destructive.
10:13 A fool starts out by talking foolishness and ends up saying crazy things that are dangerous.
10:14 He never stops talking. No one knows what the future will bring, or what will happen after death. Who can say!
10:15 Fools wear themselves out with hard work, because they don’t even know the way to town.
10:16 How horrible it will be for any country where the king used to be a servant and where the high officials throw parties in the morning.
10:17 A country is blessed when the king is from a noble family and when the high officials eat at the right time in order to get strength and not to get drunk.
10:18 A roof sags because of laziness. A house leaks because of idle hands.
10:19 A meal is made for laughter, and wine makes life pleasant, but money is the answer for everything.
10:20 Don’t curse the king even in your thoughts, and don’t curse rich people even in your bedroom. A bird may carry your words, or some winged creature may repeat what you say.
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