28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
    and discerning if they hold their tongues.(A)

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28 Even fools who keep silent are considered wise;
    when they close their lips, they are deemed intelligent.(A)

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Fools find no pleasure in understanding
    but delight in airing their own opinions.(A)

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A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
    but only in expressing personal opinion.(A)

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The lips of fools bring them strife,
    and their mouths invite a beating.(A)

The mouths of fools are their undoing,
    and their lips are a snare(B) to their very lives.(C)

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A fool’s lips bring strife,
    and a fool’s mouth invites a flogging.
The mouths of fools are their ruin,
    and their lips a snare to themselves.(A)

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19 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
    than a fool whose lips are perverse.(A)

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19 Better the poor walking in integrity
    than one perverse of speech who is a fool.(A)

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10 It is not fitting for a fool(A) to live in luxury—
    how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!(B)

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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.(A)

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29 Penalties are prepared for mockers,
    and beatings for the backs of fools.(A)

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29 Punishments are prepared for scoffers
    and flogging for the backs of fools.(A)

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It is to one’s honor to avoid strife,
    but every fool(A) is quick to quarrel.(B)

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It is honorable to refrain from strife,
    but every fool is quick to quarrel.(A)

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Saying 10

Do not speak to fools,
    for they will scorn your prudent words.(A)

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Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
    who will only despise the wisdom of your words.(A)

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Saying 23

Wisdom is too high for fools;
    in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths.

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Wisdom is too high for fools;
    in the gate they do not open their mouths.(A)

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26 Like snow in summer or rain(A) in harvest,
    honor is not fitting for a fool.(B)

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

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A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,(A)
    and a rod for the backs of fools!(B)
Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
    or you yourself will be just like him.(C)
Answer a fool according to his folly,
    or he will be wise in his own eyes.(D)
Sending a message by the hands of a fool(E)
    is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
Like the useless legs of one who is lame
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(F)
Like tying a stone in a sling
    is the giving of honor to a fool.(G)
Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(H)
10 Like an archer who wounds at random
    is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit,(I)
    so fools repeat their folly.(J)
12 Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?(K)
    There is more hope for a fool than for them.(L)

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A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
    and a rod for the back of fools.(A)
Do not answer fools according to their folly,
    lest you be a fool yourself.(B)
Answer fools according to their folly,
    lest they be wise in their own eyes.(C)
It is like cutting off one’s foot and drinking down violence,
    to send a message by a fool.
The legs of a lame person hang limp;
    so does a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(D)
It is like binding a stone in a sling
    to give honor to a fool.(E)
Like a thornbush brandished by the hand of a drunkard
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(F)
10 Like an archer who wounds everybody
    is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.[a]
11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit
    is a fool who reverts to his folly.(G)
12 Do you see people wise in their own eyes?
    There is more hope for fools than for them.(H)

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Footnotes

  1. 26.10 Meaning of Heb uncertain

Stone is heavy and sand(A) a burden,
    but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

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

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