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28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;
    when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

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A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
    but only in expressing his opinion.

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A fool’s lips bring strife,
    and his mouth invites a flogging.
A fool’s mouth is his ruin,
    and his lips are a snare to himself.

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19 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
    than a man who is perverse in speech, and is a fool.

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10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
    much less for a slave to rule over princes.

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29 Condemnation is ready for scoffers,
    and flogging for the backs of fools.

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It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife;
    but every fool will be quarreling.

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Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
    for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

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Wisdom is too high for a fool;
    in the gate he does not open his mouth.

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26 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
    so honor is not fitting for a fool.

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A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass,
    and a rod for the back of fools.
Answer not a fool according to his folly,
    lest you be like him yourself.
Answer a fool according to his folly,
    lest he be wise in his own eyes.
He who sends a message by the hand of a fool
    cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless,
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
Like one who binds the stone in the sling
    is he who gives honor to a fool.
Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 Like an archer who wounds everybody
    is he who hires a passing fool or drunkard.[a]
11 Like a dog that returns to his vomit
    is a fool that repeats his folly.
12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
    There is more hope for a fool than for him.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:10 The Hebrew text of this verse is uncertain

A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,
    but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

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