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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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28 Fools who keep quiet are deemed wise;
    those who shut their lips are smart.

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

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Fools find no pleasure in understanding,
    but only in expressing their opinion.

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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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The lips of fools make accusations;
    their mouths elicit beatings.
The mouth of fools is their ruin;
    their lips are a trap for their lives.

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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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19 Better to be poor and walk in innocence
    than to have dishonest lips and be a fool.

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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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10 Luxury isn’t fitting for a fool;
    even less so for a servant to rule over princes.

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

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29 Punishments were made for mockers,
    and blows for the backs of fools.

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

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It is honorable to back off from a fight,
    but fools jump right in.

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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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Don’t speak in the ears of fools,
    for they will scorn your insightful words.

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

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Wisdom is beyond foolish people.
    They don’t open their mouths in the gate.

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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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26 Like snow in the summer or rain at harvest,
    so honor isn’t appropriate for a fool.

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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

A whip for a horse, a bridle for a donkey,
    and a rod for the back of fools.
Don’t answer fools according to their folly,
    or you will become like them yourself.
Answer fools according to their folly,
    or they will deem themselves wise.
Sending messages with a fool
    is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking down violence.
As legs dangle from a disabled person,
    so does a proverb in the mouth of fools.
Like tying a stone in a sling,
    so is giving respect to a fool.
Like a thorny bush in the hand of a drunk,
    so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 Like an archer who wounds someone randomly,
    so is one who hires a fool or a passerby.
11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit,
    so a fool repeats foolish mistakes.
12 Do you see people who consider themselves wise?
    There is more hope for a fool than for them.

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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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A stone is heavy and sand weighs much,
    but the nuisance of fools is heavier than both.

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