¹² Let a man meet ^(A)a she-bear robbed of her cubs
    ^(B)rather than a fool in his folly.

⁹ Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
    for he will despise the good sense of your words.

^4 (A)Answer not a fool according to his folly,
    lest you be like him yourself.
^5 (B)Answer a fool according to his folly,
    lest he be ^(C)wise in his own eyes.
⁶ Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
    cuts off his own feet and ^(D)drinks violence.
⁷ Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless,
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
⁸ Like one who binds the stone in the sling
    is ^(E)one who gives honor to a fool.
⁹ Like ^(F)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 everyone
    is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.^[a]
11 Like ^(G)a dog that returns to his vomit
    is ^(H)a fool who repeats his folly.

^22 (A)Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
    along with crushed grain,
    yet his folly will not depart from him.

⁹ If a wise man has an argument with a fool,
    the fool only rages and laughs, and there is ^(A)no quiet.