Ecclesiastes 10:10-20

¹⁰If the iron hath been blunt, And he the face hath not sharpened, Then doth he increase strength, And wisdom is advantageous to make right.

¹¹If the serpent biteth without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.

¹²Words of the mouth of the wise are gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.

¹³The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly, And the latter end of his mouth Is mischievous madness.

¹⁴And the fool multiplieth words: 'Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth declare to him?'

¹⁵The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city.

¹⁶Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning.

¹⁷Happy art thou, O land, When thy king is a son of freemen, And thy princes do eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.

¹⁸By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands doth the house drop.

¹⁹For mirth they are making a feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth with all.

²⁰Even in thy mind a king revile not, And in the inner parts of thy bed-chamber Revile not the rich: For a fowl of the heavens causeth the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declareth the word.