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Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools,
    or you will become as foolish as they are.

Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools,
    or they will become wise in their own estimation.

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(A)Answer not a fool according to his folly,
    lest you be like him yourself.
(B)Answer a fool according to his folly,
    lest he be (C)wise in his own eyes.

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17 Interfering in someone else’s argument
    is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears.

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17 Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own
    is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.

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20 Fire goes out without wood,
    and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.

21 A quarrelsome person starts fights
    as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood.

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20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
    and where there is no (A)whisperer, (B)quarreling ceases.
21 As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
    so is (C)a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

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22 An angry person starts fights;
    a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin.

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22 (A)A man of wrath stirs up strife,
    and one given to anger causes much transgression.

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33 As the beating of cream yields butter
    and striking the nose causes bleeding,
    so stirring up anger causes quarrels.

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33 For pressing milk produces curds,
    pressing the nose produces blood,
    and pressing anger produces strife.

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