¹⁹ Wisdom strengthens the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.^{(A) 20} Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who always does good and who never sins.^{(B) 21} Also, do not take seriously everything that is said, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you, ²² for you also know that you too have cursed others many times.

²³ I have tested all this with wisdom. I said, “I will be wise [independently of God],” but true wisdom was far from me. ²⁴ Whatever has been is far off, deeply remote and exceedingly mysterious. Who can discover it [for it is beyond the grasp of man]?^{(C) 25} I turned around and directed my heart to know, to investigate and to seek [skillful and godly] wisdom and the reason for things, and to know that wickedness is folly and that foolishness is madness [leading to stupidity and recklessness]. ²⁶ And I discovered that [of all irrational sins none has been so destructive in beguiling one away from God as immoral women for] more bitter than death is the woman whose heart is [composed of] snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be taken captive by her [evil].

A Little Foolishness

10 Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give off a foul odor; so a little foolishness [in one who is esteemed] outweighs wisdom and honor. ² A wise man’s heart turns him toward the right [which is the way of blessing], but a fool’s heart turns him toward the left [which is the way of condemnation].^{(A) 3} Even when a fool walks along the road, his [common] sense and good judgment fail him and he demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. ⁴ If the temper of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post [showing resistance], because composure and calmness prevent great offenses.

⁵ There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which proceeds from the ruler— ⁶ folly is set in many exalted places and in great dignity while the rich sit in humble places. ⁷ I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the ground.

⁸ He who digs a pit [for others] may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a [stone] wall.^{(B) 9} He who quarries stones may be hurt with them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them.^{(C) 10} If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength; but wisdom [to sharpen the axe] helps him succeed [with less effort]. ¹¹ If the serpent bites before being charmed, then there is no profit for the charmer. ¹² The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious and win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him; ¹³ the beginning of ^[a]his talking is foolishness and the end of his talk is wicked madness. ¹⁴ Yet the fool multiplies words, though no man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after he is gone? ¹⁵ The labor of a fool so wearies him [because he is ignorant] that he does not even know how to go to a city. ¹⁶ Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child and when your [incompetent] officials and princes feast in the morning. ¹⁷ Blessed [prosperous and admired] are you, O land, when your king is a man of noble birth, and your princes and officials feast at the proper time—for strength and not for drunkenness.^{(D) 18} Through laziness the rafters [of state affairs] decay and the roof sags, and through idleness [the roof of] the house leaks. ¹⁹ The officials make a feast for enjoyment [instead of repairing what is broken], and serve wine to make life merry, and money is the answer to everything. ²⁰ Moreover, do not curse the king, even in your bedroom, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry the sound and a winged creature will make the matter known.^(E)

Cast Your Bread on the Waters

11 Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, [be diligently active, make thoughtful decisions], for you will ^[b]find it after many days. ² Give a portion to seven, or even [divide it] to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth. ³ If the clouds are full [of rain], they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it lies. ⁴ He who watches the wind [waiting for all conditions to be perfect] will not sow [seed], and he who looks at the clouds will not reap [a harvest]. ⁵ Just as you do not know the way and path of the wind or how the bones are formed in the womb of a pregnant woman, even so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.

⁶ Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle with your hands in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening planting will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both alike will be good.