Ecclesiastes 10:1-6

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:
6 Immaturity is given a place of prominence, While maturity is made to take a back seat.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.