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

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

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

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

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