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28 Even a fool who keeps silent shall be considered wise;[a]
    he who closes his lips is intelligent.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:28 Literally “wise, he shall be considered”

A fool will not take pleasure in understanding,
    but in expressing his heart.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:2 Or “mind”

The lips of a fool will bring strife,
    and his mouth calls out for a flogging.
The mouth of a fool is ruin to him,
    and his lips are a snare to his soul.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:7 Or “life,” or “inner self”

19 Better a poor person walking in integrity
    than one who is perverse in his speech[a] and is a fool.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:1 Literally “in his lips”

10 For a fool living in luxury is not fitting,
    any more than it is for a slave to rule over princes.

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29 Judgments[a] are prepared for the scoffers,
    and flogging for the back of fools.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:29 Or “Punishments,” or “Condemnations”

It is honorable for the man to refrain from strife,
    but every fool will be quick to quarrel.

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In the ears of a fool do not speak,
    for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

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Wisdom is too high for fools;
    at the gate he will not open his mouth.

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26 Like snow in the summer and like rain at the harvest,
    so honor is not fitting for a fool.

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A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
    and a rod for the back of fools.
Do not answer a fool according to his folly
    lest you become like him—even you.
Answer a fool according to his folly,
    or else he will be wise in his own eyes.
Like cutting off feet or drinking violence,
    so is he who sends messages in the hand of a fool.
Like legs that hang limp from a lame person,
    so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
Like binding a stone in a sling,
    so is giving honor to a fool.
Like a thorn that goes up in the hand of a drunkard,
    so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 Like an archer who wounds everyone,
    so is he who hires a fool or he who hires passersby.
11 Like a dog returning to his vomit
    is a fool reverting to his folly.
12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
    There is more hope for a fool than for him.

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Heavy is a stone and weighty is sand,
    but the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.

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