²⁶ Someone who gives a straight answer gives a kiss on the lips.

⁸ Do not be in a hurry to go to court.
Otherwise, what will you do afterward,
when your neighbor humiliates you?
⁹ Argue your case with your neighbor,
but do not reveal someone else’s secret.
¹⁰ If you do, the person who hears it will shame you,
and your bad reputation will never leave you.

¹¹ A word spoken at the right time
    is like golden apples in silver settings.
¹² To ears that listen, a wise person’s correction
    is like a gold ring or like jewelry made of pure gold.
¹³ To those who send him, a trustworthy messenger
    is like cooling snow on a warm day during harvest.
He refreshes his masters’ spirits.
¹⁴ A person who brags about a gift that is never given
    is like clouds and wind that bring no rain.
¹⁵ By patience a ruler can be persuaded,
and a soft tongue can break a bone.

⁴ Do not answer a fool according to his folly.
If you do, you yourself will become like him.
⁵ Answer a fool according to his folly.
If you do not, he will consider himself wise.

¹⁷ A passerby who meddles in a quarrel that is not his
is like a person who grabs a dog by the ears.