1Et par døde fluer kan få en hel flaske parfume til at stinke, og en smule tåbelighed kan overdøve mange visdomsord. 2Den vises tanker er hans styrke, tåbens tanker er hans svaghed. 3Man kan genkende en tåbe, bare man ser ham gå hen ad vejen.
4Hvis din overordnede bliver vred på dig, skal du ikke sige op af den grund. Selv alvorlige misforståelser kan glattes ud, hvis du tager det ganske roligt.
5En anden uretfærdighed har jeg lagt mærke til, og det er en fejl, som magthavere ofte begår: 6De giver tåbelige personer en høj stilling, men overser dem med de store evner. 7Jeg har endda set slaver ride som fyrster, og fyrster gå til fods, som var de slaver.
8Den, der graver en grav, må passe på ikke selv at falde i den. Den, der nedbryder en gammel mur, skal passe på ikke at blive bidt af en slange i buskadset. 9Den, der arbejder i et stenbrud, skal passe på ikke at få en sten ned over sig. Den, der fælder træer, skal passe på ikke at blive knust under et af dem. 10Hvis øksen er sløv, må der lægges flere kræfter i under arbejdet. Den kloges visdom kan hjælpe ham, så hans arbejde lykkes. 11Hvis slangen bider, før den er tæmmet, hjælper det ikke, at slangetæmmeren er nok så dygtig.
Visdom og tåbelighed
12En vismands ord bringer ham ære og fremgang, men tåbens ord giver ham store problemer. 13Fordi hans udgangspunkt er tåbeligt, bliver hans konklusion det rene sludder. 14Tåber snakker og snakker, men hvem kan vide, hvad fremtiden bringer? 15En tåbe kan blive så udmattet af sit arbejde, at han ikke engang kan finde vejen hjem.
16Det er en ulykke for et land at have en tåbelig konge, som tillader landets ledere at være fulde fra morgenstunden. 17Det er godt for et land at have en forstandig konge, som har styr på landets ledere, så de kun fester på de rette tidspunkter—og uden at blive fulde. 18Den dovne blæser på, at taget er utæt, og bjælkerne er ved at rådne. 19Fest fører til latter, og vin gør munter, har man penge, kan man få det hele. 20Tænk aldrig en ond tanke imod kongen. Tal ikke ondt om dem, der sidder ved magten, ikke engang hjemme i dit eget soveværelse. En lille fugl kunne synge om, hvad du sagde i smug.
1Dead flies give perfume a bad smell.
And a little foolishness can make a lot of wisdom useless.
2The hearts of wise people lead them on the right path.
But the hearts of foolish people take them down the wrong path.
3Foolish people don’t have any sense at all.
They show everyone they are foolish.
They do it even when they are walking along the road.
4Suppose a ruler gets very angry with you.
If he does, don’t quit your job in the palace.
Being calm can overcome what you have done against him.
5Here’s something evil I’ve seen on this earth.
And it’s the kind of mistake that rulers make.
6Foolish people are given many important jobs.
Rich people are given unimportant ones.
7I’ve seen slaves on horseback.
I’ve also seen princes who were forced to walk as if they were slaves.
8Anyone who digs a pit might fall into it.
Anyone who breaks through a wall might be bitten by a snake.
9Anyone who removes stones from rock pits might get hurt.
Anyone who cuts logs might get wounded.
10Suppose the blade of an ax is dull.
And its edge hasn’t been sharpened.
Then more effort is needed to use it.
But skill will bring success.
11Suppose a snake bites before it is charmed.
Then the snake charmer receives no payment.
12Wise people say gracious things.
But foolish people are destroyed by what their own lips speak.
13At first what they say is foolish.
In the end their words are very evil.
14They talk too much.
No one knows what lies ahead.
Who can tell someone else what will happen after they are gone?
15The work foolish people do makes them tired.
They don’t even know the way to town.
16How terrible it is for a land whose king used to be a servant!
How terrible if its princes get drunk in the morning!
17How blessed is the land whose king was born into the royal family!
How blessed if its princes eat and drink at the proper time!
How blessed if they eat and drink to become strong and not to get drunk!
18When a person won’t work, the roof falls down.
Because of hands that aren’t busy, the house leaks.
19People laugh at a dinner party.
And wine makes life happy.
People think money can buy everything.
20Don’t say bad things about the king.
Don’t even think about those things.
Don’t curse rich people.
Don’t even curse them in your bedroom.
A bird might fly away and carry your words.
It might report what you said.
