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Do not answer fools according to their folly,
    lest you be a fool yourself.(A)
Answer fools according to their folly,
    lest they be wise in their own eyes.(B)

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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.

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17 Like someone who takes a passing dog by the ears
    is one who meddles in the quarrel of another.(A)

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17     Like yanking the ears of a dog,
    so is one who passes by and gets involved in another person’s fight.

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

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20 Without wood a fire goes out;
    without gossips, conflict calms down.
21 Like adding charcoal to embers or wood to fire,
    quarrelsome people kindle strife.

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22 One given to anger stirs up strife,
    and the hothead causes much transgression.(A)

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22 Angry people stir up conflict;
    hotheads cause much offense.

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33 For as pressing milk produces curds
    and pressing the nose produces blood,
    so pressing anger produces strife.(A)

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33         because churning milk makes curds,
        squeezing the nose brings blood,
        and stirring up anger produces strife.

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