10:8 One who digs a pit may 1 fall into it,
and one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. 2
10:9 One who quarries stones may be injured by them;
one who splits logs may be endangered by them.
10:10 If an iron axhead 3 is blunt and a workman 4 does not sharpen 5 its edge, 6
he must exert a great deal of effort; 7
so wisdom has the advantage of giving success.
10:11 If the snake should bite before it is charmed, 8
the snake charmer 9 is in trouble. 10
10:12 The words of a wise person 11 win him 12 favor, 13
but the words 14 of a fool are self-destructive. 15
10:13 At the beginning his words 16 are foolish
and at the end 17 his talk 18 is wicked madness, 19
10:14 yet a fool keeps on babbling. 20
No one knows what will happen;
who can tell him what will happen in the future? 21
10:15 The toil of a stupid fool 22 wears him out, 23
because he does not even know the way to the city. 24
10:16 Woe to you, O land, when your king is childish, 25
and your princes feast in the morning!
10:17 Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobility, 26
and your princes feast at the proper time 27 – with self-control and not in drunkenness. 28
10:18 Because of laziness the roof 29 caves in,
and because of idle hands 30 the house leaks.
10:19 Feasts 31 are made 32 for laughter,
and wine makes life merry, 33
but money is the answer 34 for everything.
10:20 Do not curse a king even in your thoughts,
and do not curse the rich 35 while in your bedroom; 36
for a bird 37 might report what you are thinking, 38
or some winged creature 39 might repeat your 40 words. 41