15 A ·gentle [soft; tender] answer ·will calm a person’s anger [^Lturns back/^Taway wrath],
but an ·unkind [painful; sharp] answer ·will cause more [raises] anger.

¹⁸ People with quick tempers cause ·trouble [conflict],
but ·those who control their tempers [patient people] stop ·a quarrel [accusations].

³² Patience is better than strength [or A patient person is better than a warrior].
Controlling your temper is better than capturing a city.

17 It is better to eat a dry crust of bread in ·peace [quiet]
than to have a feast where there is ·quarreling [strife; contention].

¹⁴ Starting a quarrel is like ·a leak in a dam [^Lletting out water],
so ·stop it [hold back an accusation] before a fight breaks out.

¹⁹ Whoever loves to argue loves to sin.
Whoever ·brags a lot is asking for trouble [^Lbuilds a high doorway is seeking a collapse].

²⁷ The wise ·say very little [restrain/hold back their talk],
and those with understanding stay ·calm [coolheaded].

¹⁸ Throwing lots can settle arguments
and ·keep the two sides from fighting [is decisive against powerful people].

¹⁹ A brother who has been ·insulted [offended] is harder to win back than a walled city,
and arguments separate people like the barred gates of a palace.

¹¹ The ·wise [insightful] ·are patient [^Lhold in their anger];
they will be ·honored [praised; glorified] if they ignore ·insults [offenses].

¹² An angry king is like a ·roaring [growling] lion,
but his ·kindness [favor] is like the dew on the grass.

¹⁹ People with quick tempers will have to pay for it.
If you ·help them out once [rescue them], you will have to do it again.