11
I took another walk around the neighborhood and realized that on this earth as it is -
The race is not always to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor satisfaction to the wise,
Nor riches to the smart,
Nor grace to the learned.
Sooner or later bad luck hits us all.
12
No one can predict misfortune.
Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds in a trap,
So men and women are caught
By accidents evil and sudden.
13 One day as I was observing how wisdom fares on this earth, I saw something that made me sit up and take notice. There was a small town with only a few people in it. A strong king came and mounted an attack, building trenches and attack posts around it. There was a poor but wise man in that town whose wisdom saved the town, but he was promptly forgotten. (He was only a poor man, after all.) 16 All the same, I still say that wisdom is better than muscle, even though the wise poor man was treated with contempt and soon forgotten.
17
The quiet words of the wise are more effective
Than the ranting of a king of fools.
18
Wisdom is better than warheads,
But one hothead can ruin the good earth.
1
Dead flies in perfume make it stink, And a little foolishness decomposes much wisdom.
2
Wise thinking leads to right living;
Stupid thinking leads to wrong living.
3
Fools on the road have no sense of direction.
The way they walk tells the story: "There goes the fool again!"
4
If a ruler loses his temper against you, don't panic;
A calm disposition quiets intemperate rage.
5
Here's a piece of bad business I've seen on this earth, An error that can be blamed on whoever is in charge:
Immaturity is given a place of prominence,
While maturity is made to take a backseat.
I've seen unproven upstarts riding in style,
While experienced veterans are put out to pasture.
8
Caution: The trap you set might catch you.
Warning: Your accomplice in crime might double-cross you.
9
Safety first: Quarrying stones is dangerous.
Be alert: Felling trees is hazardous.
10
Remember: The duller the ax the harder the work;
Use your head: The more brains, the less muscle.
11
If the snake bites before it's been charmed,
What's the point in then sending for the charmer?
12
The words of a wise person are gracious.
The talk of a fool self-destructs -
He starts out talking nonsense
And ends up spouting insanity and evil.
14
Fools talk way too much,
Chattering stuff they know nothing about.
15
A decent day's work so fatigues fools
That they can't find their way back to town.
16
Unlucky the land whose king is a young pup,
And whose princes party all night.
Lucky the land whose king is mature,
Where the princes behave themselves
And don't drink themselves silly.
18
A shiftless man lives in a tumbledown shack;
A lazy woman ends up with a leaky roof.
19
Laughter and bread go together,
And wine gives sparkle to life -
But it's money that makes the world go around.
20
Don't bad-mouth your leaders, not even under your breath,
And don't abuse your betters, even in the privacy of your home.
Loose talk has a way of getting picked up and spread around.
Little birds drop the crumbs of your gossip far and wide.