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10:1  Dead flies turn a perfumer’s oil rancid, so a little foolishness is more potent than wisdom and honor.
10:2  A wise person’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish person’s heart directs him toward the left.
10:3  Even when the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool.
10:4  If the ruler’s temper rises against you, do not abandon your place, because composure puts great offenses to rest.
10:5  There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like a mistake that proceeds from the ruler:
10:6  foolishness is set in many exalted places while the rich sit in humble places.
10:7  I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.
10:8  One who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite one who breaks through a wall.
10:9  One who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and one who splits logs may be endangered by them.
10:10  If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of bringing success.
10:11  If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no benefit for the charmer.
10:12  Words from the mouth of a wise person are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him;
10:13  the beginning of his talking is foolishness, and the end of it is evil insanity.
10:14  Yet the fool multiplies words. No person knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him?
10:15  The labor of a fool makes him so weary that he does not even know how to go to a city.
10:16  Woe to you, land whose king is a boy, and whose princes feast in the morning.
10:17  Blessed are you, land whose king is of nobility, and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for strength and not for drunkenness.
10:18  Through extreme laziness the rafters sag, and through idleness the house leaks.
10:19  People prepare a meal for enjoyment, wine makes life joyful, and money is the answer to everything.
10:20  Furthermore, in your bedroom do not curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich person; for a bird of the sky will bring the sound, and the winged one will make your word known.