1 A few dead flies in perfumemake all of it stink,and a little foolishnessoutweighs a lot of wisdom.
2 Sensible thoughts lead youto do right;foolish thoughts lead youto do wrong.
3 Fools show their stupidityby the way they live;it's easy to seethey have no sense.
4 Don't give up your jobwhen your boss gets angry.If you stay calm,you'll be forgiven.
5 Rulers do some things that 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 hurtby chiseling a stoneor chopping a log.
10 If you don't sharpen your ax,it will be harder to use;if you are wise,you'll know what to do.
11 The power to charm a snakedoes you no goodif 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 chatterends with disaster.
14 They never tire of talking,but none of us really knowwhat the future will bring.
15 Fools wear themselves out—they don't know enoughto find their way home.
16 A country is in for troublewhen its ruler is childish,and its leadersparty all day long.
17 But a nation will prosperwhen its ruler is mature,and its leadersdon't party too much.
18 Some people are too lazyto fix a leaky roof—then the house collapses.
19 Eating and drinkingmake you feel happy,and money can buyeverything you need.
20 Don't let yourself think aboutcursing the king;don't curse the rich,not even in secret.A little bird might hearand tell everything.