¹Dead flies cause a perfumer`s perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom — By reason of honour — a little folly!

¹Surnud kärbsed panevad haisema salvisegaja õli, pisut rumalust võib mõjuda rohkem kui tarkus ja au.

²The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.

²Targa süda hoiab paremale ja albi süda pahemale.

³And also, when he that is a fool Is walking in the way, his heart is lacking, And he hath said to every one, `He [is] a fool.`

³Teed käieski puudub albil mõistus, ja igaühele ilmneb, et ta on alp.

⁴If the spirit of the ruler go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth great sinners.

⁴Kui valitseja viha tõuseb sinu vastu, siis ära jäta maha oma kohta, sest kannatlikkus hoiab ära suuri patte.

⁵There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error that goeth out from the ruler,

⁵Halb asi, mida ma nägin päikese all, on see,

⁶He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.

⁶rumalus pannakse kõrgele kohale, suured ja rikkad aga istuvad madalal.

⁷I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.

⁷Ma olen näinud sulaseid hobuste seljas ja vürste käivat maas otsekui sulased.

⁸Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.

⁸Kes augu kaevab, langeb ise sinna sisse, ja kes müüri maha kisub, seda salvab madu.

⁹Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.

⁹Kes kive kangutab, teeb enesele häda, kes puid lõhub, ohustab ennast.

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.

¹⁰Kui raud on nüri ja tera ei ihuta, siis tuleb jõudu pingutada; aga tulemuseks on tarkus tarvilik.

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

¹¹Kui madu salvab, enne kui on lausutud, siis pole lausujast mingit kasu.

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

¹²Sõnad targa suust toovad poolehoidu, aga albi neelavad ta oma huuled:

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

¹³tema kõne algus on alpimine ja tema kõne lõpp on kurjakuulutav meeletus.

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

¹⁴Alp teeb palju sõnu, ent ükski inimene ei tea, mis tuleb, ja kes ütleks temale, mis sünnib pärast teda?

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

¹⁵Albi vaev väsitab seda, kes linnateed ei tunne.

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

¹⁶Häda sulle, maa, kui su kuningaks on sulane ja su vürstid pidutsevad juba hommikul!

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.

¹⁷Õnnelik oled, maa, kui su kuningas on vaba mehe poeg ja su vürstid pidutsevad õigel ajal nagu mehed, aga mitte nagu joodikud!

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

¹⁸Suure laiskuse pärast vajuvad sarikad, ja kui käsi süles peetakse, tilgub koda läbi.

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

¹⁹Mõnu pärast valmistatakse rooga, vein teeb elu rõõmsaks, ja raha eest saab kõike.

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.

²⁰Isegi mõttes ära sajata kuningat, ja oma magamiskambris ära sajata rikast, sest taeva lind viib hääle välja ja tiivuline teatab loost!