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Ecclesiastes 10 (CEV)

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¹ A few dead flies in perfume make all of it stink, and a little foolishness outweighs a lot of wisdom. ² Sensible thoughts lead you to do right; foolish thoughts lead you to do wrong. ³ Fools show their stupidity by the way they live; it's easy to see they have no sense. ⁴ Don't give up your job when your boss gets angry. If you stay calm, you'll be forgiven. ⁵ Some things rulers do are terribly unfair: ⁶ They honor fools, but dishonor the rich; ⁷ they let slaves ride on horses, but force slave owners to walk. ⁸ If you dig a pit, you might fall in; if you break down a wall, a snake might bite you. ⁹ You could even get hurt by chiseling a stone or chopping a log. ¹⁰ If you don't sharpen your ax, it will be harder to use; if you are smart, you'll know what to do. ¹¹ The power to charm a snake does you no good if it bites you anyway. ¹² If you talk sensibly, you will have friends; if you talk foolishly, you will destroy yourself. ¹³ Fools begin with nonsense, and their stupid chatter ends with disaster. ¹⁴ They never tire of talking, but none of us really know what the future will bring. ¹⁵ Fools wear themselves out-- they don't know enough to find their way home. ¹⁶ A country is in for trouble when its ruler is childish, and its leaders party all day long. ¹⁷ But a nation will prosper when its ruler is mature, and its leaders don't party too much. ¹⁸ Some people are too lazy to fix a leaky roof-- then the house falls in. ¹⁹ Eating and drinking make you feel happy, and bribes can buy everything you need. ²⁰ Don't even think about cursing the king; don't curse the rich, not even in secret. A little bird might hear and tell everything.