Dead flies decay and pollute the perfumer’s ointment; wisdom and honor are outweighed by a little foolishness.

Dead flies cause the perfumer’s ointment to give off a foul odour: so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honour.

The flies of death [i.e., the flies of winter, though devitalized and near death, still] putrefy [and cause to] ferment the [purest] perfumer's oil. [In the same way,] weightier than [a man's] wisdom and honor is a little folly.

The heart [understanding] of a wise man is at his right hand; but the heart of a fool is at his left.

A wise man’s heart inclines him to his right hand: but a fool’s heart to his left.

The heart of the wise man is [inclined] to his right [i.e., to good] and the heart of the fool is inclined] to his left [i.e., to evil.]

Also, when a fool walks by the way, his heart [understanding] fails him; and proclaims to all that he is a fool.

Yea also, when a fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he reveals to everyone that he is a fool.

And even on the path that the fool walks, his heart is wanting and [in his manner of walking and speaking] declares to all that he is a fool.

If the spirit [anger] of the Ruler flares up against you, do not leave your place; for softness pacifies great offenses.

If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, do not leave thy place; for deference appeases great offences.

If the spirit [of judgment] of the Ruler arises against you, do not leave your place [i.e., do not abandon those good traits that you possess], for it [i.e., the suffering that comes upon you] attenuates your transgressions and lightens [your] grave sins.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun; like an error emanating from the ruler.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, when an error proceeds from the ruler:

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, like an inadvertency issuing from the mouth of the Ruler, [which cannot be retracted.]

Folly is set upon great heights; but the rich sit in low places.

folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.

[The evil:] He has placed folly [i.e., men of wickedness and folly, who are destined to destroy the Temple] in the height of heights, and the "wealthy" [i.e., Israel, the distinguished men of my (Solomon's) days] shall sit in lowliness [viz. Eichah 2:10].

I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on foot like slaves on the ground.

I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

I saw [(prophetically,) former slaves [(the Kasdim)] on horseback, and princes [(bound Jewish captives)] walking [before them] like slaves, on the ground [viz. Isaiah 23:13].

He who digs a pit will fall into it; he who breaks down a fence will be bitten by a snake.

He who digs a pit shall fall into it; and whoever breaks through a hedge, a snake shall bite him.

The digger of a pit will fall in it; and the breacher of a fence will be bitten by a snake.

He who removes stones will be hurt by them; he who splits logs will be endangered by them.

He who removes stones shall be hurt by them; and he who chops wood shall be endangered by that.

The carrier of stones [from the quarry] will be wearied by them. The chopper of wood will be warmed by it.

If the axe is blunt, and one has not sharpened its edge, he must exert more strength; there is more profit in a skill of wisdom.

If the iron is blunt, and one does not whet the edge, then he must put to more strength: but wisdom increases skill.

[Even] if the iron [of the sword] be blunted and the edge has not been honed, he [(the commander)] may [yet] spur on [his] soldiers [to victory]. And [there is yet] an additional advantage [in] wisdom [i.e., in the sage's emboldening them by his wisdom.]

If the snake bites before it is charmed; there is no advantage in having a charmer.

If the serpent bites and cannot be charmed, then there is no advantage in a charmer.

If a snake bites [a man, it is because] there has not been a charm [from the charmer to prevent it from doing so]. And there is no profit to the man of the tongue [(the charmer who did not use his tongue to prevent the biting). Likewise, there is no profit (but loss) to the sage, who could have used his tongue to teach the laws, so that they not be violated, but who failed to do so.]

The words of a wise man win favor; but the lips of a fool devour him.

The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

The words of the sage [find] grace [in their hearers], but the lips of the fool, [(who incites men to evil)] swallow them.

The beginning of his words is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness.

The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is grievous madness.

The beginning of the word of his [(the fool's)] mouth are folly; and the last of his mouth is evil waywardness.

The fool multiplies words; man knows not what will be; and what will be after him, who can tell him.

A fool also multiplies words: yet no man can tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

And the fool multiplies words, [(saying: "Tomorrow, I shall do this and this.")] How can a man know what is to be if what is behind him [i.e., what is immediately past], he needs someone to apprise him of !

The labor of the fools exhausts them; for he does not know the way to the city.

The labour of fools wearies himself; for he does not know to get to the city.

The toil of the fools [i.e., the slothfulness of the forsakers of Torah, which brings upon them the "toil" of Gehinnom)] wearies them, in that they know not how to go to the city [of truth].

Woe to you, O land, if your king is a [mere] lad and whose officers feast in the morning.

Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes dine in the morning!

Woe unto you, O land, whose king is a child [i.e., a fool], and whose princes dine in the morning!

Fortunate are you, land whose king is a free [noble] man; and your officers feast at the proper time—in strength and not in drunkenness.

Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is a man of dignity, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

Happy are you, O land, whose king is of noble bearing and whose princes dine in season, in [the] strength [of wisdom and understanding] and not in the drinking [of wine].

Where there is slothfulness, the ceiling sags, and where there is idleness, the house leaks.

By much slothfulness the beams collapse; and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.

Through slothfulness [(in repairing small cracks)] the vaulting sags, and through negligence of the hands, the house leaks.

A feast is made for laughter, and wine will gladden life; and money answers all things.

A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes life joyful: and money answers all things.

For joy [i.e., for festive occasions] feasts are made, and wine rejoices the living, and money answers all [needs — wherefore let one labor so that he have the means for these necessary luxuries.]

Even in your thoughts do not curse the king, and in your bed-chamber do not curse the rich; for a bird of the skies may carry [your] voice, and that which has wings will reveal the matter.

Do not curse the king, no, not even in thy thought; and do not curse the rich even in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the sky shall carry the sound, and that which has wings shall tell the matter.

Even in your thoughts do not curse the King; and (even) in your bedchambers do not curse the wealthy. For the bird of Heaven [i.e., your soul, which will ultimately return to its source] will carry the voice, and the winged creature [the angel that accompanies you thither (viz. Psalms 91:11)] will speak the thing.