¹As snow in summer

And as rain in the harvest,

So it is not becoming

For a fool to have honour.

²As a bird takes flight,

As a swallow flies away,

So shall a gratuitous curse

Not come to pass.

³A whip for the horse,

A bridle for the donkey,

And a rod for the back of fools.

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his own foolishness,

In case you yourself come to resemble him.

⁵Do answer a fool according to his own foolishness,

So that he does not become wise in his own eyes.

⁶He who sends a message by the agency of a fool

Cuts off the feet and drinks injury.

⁷You could amputate the legs of a lame man

And a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

⁸As a grain of grit in a heap of boulders,

So is he who gives a fool honour.

⁹A thorn gets stuck in the hand of a drunkard,

And a proverb in the mouths of fools.

¹⁰A great man produces all kinds of things,

But he who hires a fool

Also hires those who are remiss.

Is a fool who repeats his stupidity.

¹²Have you seen a man wise in his own eyes?

A fool has more hope than him.

¹³A lazy man says,

“There is a lion in the road

– A fierce lion among the streets.”

¹⁴A door turns on its hinge,

And a lazy man on his bed.

¹⁵A lazy man dips his hand in the bowl,

But can't be bothered to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁶A lazy man is wise in his own eyes

– More so than seven men can give a reason for.

¹⁷He who crosses over and interferes in a dispute

Which doesn't belong to him,

Is like one who seizes a dog's ears.

¹⁸Like a madman who shoots darts, arrows and death,

¹⁹So is a man who deceives his neighbour and says,

“I was only jesting, wasn't I?”

²⁰When there are no more logs,

The fire goes out,

And when there is no gossipmonger,

Contention abates.

²¹Coal for the embers,

And wood for the fire,

And a contentious man

To incite an argument.

²²The words of a gossipmonger are like delicacies,

Which descend into the inner parts of the belly.

²³Ardent lips but an evil heart

Are like silver dross overlaid on a shard.

²⁴He who hates

Puts up a pretence with his lips

And harbours deceit inwardly.

²⁵When he sounds gracious,

Do not believe him,

For there are seven abominations in his heart.

²⁶Hatred is concealed by deception,

But his evil will be discovered in the convocation.

²⁷He who digs a pit will fall into it,

And as for him who rolls a stone,

It will come back upon him.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those whom it has oppressed,

And a flattering mouth brings about ruin.

Reference(s) in Chapter 26: v.11 ↔ 2 Peter 2:22.