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¹ LIKE snow in summer and like rain in harvest, so honor is not seemly for a fool.

² Like sparrows wandering and like birds flying in the air, so the curse that is causeless shall be driven away.

³ A whip for the horse, a goad for the ass, and a rod for the back of a fool.

⁴ Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be also like him.⁵ But answer a fool according to your wisdom, lest he think in himself that he is wise.

⁶ He who sends a message by the hand of a fool drinks iniquity from under his own feet.⁷ As a lame man who cannot walk, so is a parable in the mouth of a fool.⁸ Like a stone in a sling, so is he who gives honor to a fool.⁹ Thorns spring up in the hand of a drunkard, and folly in the mouth of a foot.

¹⁰ The body of a fool is greatly afflicted, and a drunkard thinks that he can cross a sea.

¹¹ As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool that misbehaves in his folly.

¹² If you should see a man wise in his own eyes, a fool is much better than he.

¹³ The sluggard says, when he is sent out, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

¹⁴ As a door turns upon its hinges, so does the slothful turn on his bed.

¹⁵ The slothful hides his hands in his bosom; it grieves him to bring them again to his mouth.

¹⁶ The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men with good reasoning.

¹⁷ He who meddles with a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a dog by the ears.

¹⁸ Like haughty men who utter words sharp and deadly as arrows,¹⁹ So is the man who deceives his neighbor; when he is caught, he says, I was merely jesting.

²⁰ When there is no wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no troublesome person, the strife ceases.²¹ As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a malicious person to kindle strife.²² The words of the malicious stir up trouble; they go down into the innermost parts of the heart.

²³ Like silver dross which sticks to an earthen pot, so are enraged lips and an evil heart.

²⁴ He who hates is known by his own speech; in his heart he entertains deceit;²⁵ Though he speaks in a gentle tone, believe him not; for there are seven abominations in his heart.²⁶ He who conceals hatred in his heart, his wickedness shall be revealed in the congregation.

²⁷ He who digs a pit shall fall into it; and he who rolls a stone, it will return upon him.

²⁸ A lying tongue hates the truth; and a troublesome mouth stirs up a quarrel.