Thomson(i)
1 Dead flies will spoil the best prepared perfumes: but the smallest portion of wisdom is of more value than the greatest glory of folly.
2 The heart of a wise man is on his right: but the heart of a fool is at his left.
3 In every way at least when a fool is on his march his heart will fail him so that all which he shall devise is folly.
4 If the spirit of a ruler rise up against thee, resign not thy place: for a reconciliation will mollify great offences.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun as if something involuntary came forth from the presence of a person in authority.
6 The fool is set in high stations while the rich shall sit in a low place.
7 I have seen slaves on horseback and princes walking like slaves on the ground.
8 He who diggeth a pit may fall into it; and him, who is clearing away a hedge, a serpent may bite.
9 He who raiseth stones high may be overpowered by them; and he who cleareth wood will thereby incur danger.
10 If the axe shall fall, or one blunteth its edge and redoubled force is to be applied; the advantage will be in favour of the man who hath skill.
11 If a serpent biteth at an interval of charming, there is then no advantage in him who charmeth.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth are a charm; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly and the end of his talk is malicious madness.
14 Though the fool multiplieth words, a man doth not know what the matter is; and what that shall be which will follow who can tell him.
15 The labour of the foolish will tire them like that of one who knoweth not the way to a city.
16 Alas for thee, city, whose king is a novice and whose chiefs eat in the morning.
17 Happy thou, land, whose king is a son of freemen and whose chiefs eat in due season for strength: and that they may not be put to shame.
18 By slothfulness the roof will fall, and by idleness of hands a house will become leaky,
19 so as to excite a derision of them who are providing bread and wine and oil that they may be regaled while living. But to the subjection of money all things will be obedient.
20 Therefore curse not a king in thy mind, and in the inmost recesses of thy bed chamber curse not a rich man: for a bird of the air will carry thy voice, and that which hath wings will tell thy saying.