μυῖαι θανατοῦσαι σαπριοῦσιν σκευασίαν ἐλαίου ἡδύσματος τίμιον ὀλίγον σοφίας ὑπὲρ δόξαν ἀφροσύνης μεγάλης
Dead flies make a perfumer’s ointment stink; a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly.
The Koine Bible
The Scriptures in Greek with direct English translation.
Rahlfs Septuagint
Ecclesiastes 10
Greek text followed verse by verse by a direct English translation.
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The heart of a wise man is at his right, and the heart of a fool at his left.
And also, on the way, when a fool goes, his heart fails, and whatever he thinks is all foolishness.
If the spirit of one ruling rises up against you, do not leave your place, because healing will quiet great sins.
There is an evil that I saw under the sun, as an involuntary thing that came forth from the presence of the ruler
The fool has been given in great heights, and the rich will sit in lowliness.
I have seen slaves on horses, and rulers walking on the earth like slaves.
He who digs a pit will fall into it, and a serpent will bite him who breaks down a fence.
One who removes stones will be wearied by them; one who splits wood will be endangered by them.
ἐὰν ἐκπέσῃ τὸ σιδήριον καὶ αὐτὸς πρόσωπον ἐτάραξεν καὶ δυνάμεις δυναμώσει καὶ περισσεία τοῦ ἀνδρείου σοφία
If the iron falls out, and he has troubled the face, then he will strengthen powers; and the advantage of the valiant man is wisdom.
If a snake bites without whispering, then there is no advantage to the enchanter.
The words of a wise mouth are grace, and the lips of a fool will swallow him up.
The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly, and the end of his mouth is evil madness.
καὶ ὁ ἄφρων πληθύνει λόγους οὐκ ἔγνω ὁ ἄνθρωπος τί τὸ γενόμενον καὶ τί τὸ ἐσόμενον ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ τίς ἀναγγελεῖ αὐτῷ
And the foolish man multiplies words; man has not known what has happened and what will be after him; who will announce to him?
The toil of fools will weary them, he who did not know how to go into the city.
Woe to you, city whose king is a youth and whose princes eat in the morning
μακαρία σύ γῆ ἧς ὁ βασιλεύς σου υἱὸς ἐλευθέρων καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντές σου πρὸς καιρὸν φάγονται ἐν δυνάμει καὶ οὐκ αἰσχυνθήσονται
Happy are you, O land, whose king is a son of free men, and your rulers will eat at the proper time, in strength, and will not be ashamed.
Through slothfulness the roofbeam will be brought low, and through idleness of hands the house will leak.
For laughter they make bread, and wine gladdens the living, and for money all things will be heard together
καί γε ἐν συνειδήσει σου βασιλέα μὴ καταράσῃ καὶ ἐν ταμιείοις κοιτώνων σου μὴ καταράσῃ πλούσιον ὅτι πετεινὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀποίσει σὺν τὴν φωνήν καὶ ὁ ἔχων τὰς πτέρυγας ἀπαγγελεῖ λόγον
And even in your conscience do not curse a king, and in the inner rooms of your bedchambers do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the sky will carry the voice, and the one having the wings will report the word.