| New International Version | King James Bible |
| 1As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. | 1Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. |
| 2The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left. | 2A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. |
| 3Even as fools walk along the road, they lack sense and show everyone how stupid they are. | 3Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool. |
| 4If a ruler's anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest. | 4If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences. |
| 5There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler: | 5There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: |
| 6Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones. | 6Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place. |
| 7I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves. | 7I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth. |
| 8Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. | 8He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him. |
| 9Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them. | 9Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. |
| 10If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success. | 10If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct. |
| 11If a snake bites before it is charmed, the charmer receives no fee. | 11Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better. |
| 12Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips. | 12The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. |
| 13At the beginning their words are folly; at the end they are wicked madness-- | 13The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. |
| 14and fools multiply words. No one knows what is coming-- who can tell someone else what will happen after them? | 14A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? |
| 15The toil of fools wearies them; they do not know the way to town. | 15The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. |
| 16Woe to the land whose king was a servant and whose princes feast in the morning. | 16Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! |
| 17Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper time-- for strength and not for drunkenness. | 17Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! |
| 18Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks. | 18By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. |
| 19A feast is made for laughter, wine makes life merry, and money is the answer for everything. | 19A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things. |
| 20Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say. | 20Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. |
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