²⁶ An honest answer
    is like a kiss on the lips.

⁸ Don’t be hasty in bringing charges to court.
    What will you do in the end when your neighbor shames you?
⁹ Debate your case with your neighbor,
    and don’t betray the confidence of another,
¹⁰     lest one who hears it put you to shame,
    and your bad reputation never depart.

²⁰ As one who takes away a garment in cold weather,
    or vinegar on soda,
    so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

⁴ Don’t answer a fool according to his folly,
    lest you also be like him.
⁵ Answer a fool according to his folly,
    lest he be wise in his own eyes.

¹⁷ Like one who grabs a dog’s ears
    is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own.

¹⁸ Like a madman who shoots torches, arrows, and death,
¹⁹     is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “Am I not joking?”

²³ One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
    than one who flatters with the tongue.

²⁰ Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
    There is more hope for a fool than for him.