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10:1  Dead flies cause the perfumer’s shemen to send forth a foul odor; so doth a little sichlut outweigh chochmah and kavod.
10:2  A chacham’s lev is at his yamin (right hand); but a kesil’s lev is at his semol (left hand).
10:3  Yea also, when he that is a kesil even walketh along the derech, his sense faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a kesil.
10:4  If the ruach of the moshel rise up against thee, leave not thy mekom; for calmness pacifieth chata’im gedolim.
10:5  There is a ra’ah which I have seen under the shemesh, the sort of error which proceedeth from a shalit (ruler);
10:6  Sekhel (folly) is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
10:7  I have seen avadim (servants) upon susim, and sarim (princes) walking as avadim upon ha’aretz.
10:8  He that diggeth a gumatz (pit) shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a wall, a nachash shall bite him.
10:9  Whoso pulleth out avanim (stones) may be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood may be endangered thereby.
10:10  If the barzel (iron [of the axe]) be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must more strength be marshalled; but chochmah brings success.
10:11  If the nachash will bite before it is charmed, there is no use in a charmer.
10:12  The words of a chacham’s mouth are chen (gracious); but the lips of a kesil will swallow up himself.
10:13  The beginning of the words of his mouth is sichlut; and the end of his talk is holelot ra’ah.
10:14  A kesil also is full of devarim; haAdam has no da’as of what shall be, and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
10:15  The amal of the kesilim wearieth him, because he has no da’as of how to go to town.
10:16  Woe to thee, O eretz, when thy melech is a na’ar, and thy sarim (princes) feast in the boker!
10:17  Blessed art thou, O eretz, when thy melech is a nobleman, and thy sarim (princes) eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
10:18  By much atzlut (slothfulness) the rafters falleth; and through idleness of the hands the bais leaketh.
10:19  Lechem is made for laughter, and yayin maketh merry; but kesef answereth everything.
10:20  Curse not the Melech, no not in thy thought; and curse not the oisher in thy bedchamber; for an Oph haShomayim may carry the voice, and that which hath wings may report what you say.