^12 (A)The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,
But ^(B)the lips of a fool shall swallow him up;

² The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
^(A)But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.

²⁰ The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
²¹ The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of ^[a]wisdom.

¹⁷ Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my knowledge;
¹⁸ For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
Let them all be fixed upon your lips,