1. A few dead flies in perfumemake all of it stink,and a little foolishnessoutweighs a lot of wisdom.
2. Sensible thoughts lead youto do right;foolish thoughts lead youto do wrong.
3. Fools show their stupidityby the way they live;it's easy to seethey have no sense.
4. Don't give up your jobwhen your boss gets angry.If you stay calm,you'll be forgiven.
5. Some things rulers do are terribly unfair:
6. they honour fools, but dishonour the rich;
7. they let slaves ride on horses, but force slave owners to walk.
8. If you dig a pit,you might fall in;if you break down a wall,a snake might bite you.
9. You could even get hurtby chiselling a stoneor chopping a log.
10. If you don't sharpen your axe,it will be harder to use;if you are clever,you'll know what to do.
11. The power to charm a snakedoes you no goodif it bites you anyway.
12. If you talk sensibly,you will have friends;if you talk foolishly,you will destroy yourself.
13. Fools begin with nonsense,and their stupid chatterends with disaster.
14. They never tire of talking,but none of us really knowwhat the future will bring.
15. Fools wear themselves out—they don't know enoughto find their way home.
16. A country is in for troublewhen its ruler is childish,and its leadersfeast all day long.
17. But a nation will prosperwhen its ruler is mature,and its leadersdon't feast too much.
18. Some people are too lazyto fix a leaky roof—then the house falls in.
19. Eating and drinkingmake you feel happy,and bribes can buyeverything you need.
20. Don't even thinkabout cursing the king;don't curse the rich,not even in secret.A little bird might hearand tell everything.