3. A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,and a rod for the backs of fools!
4. Do not answer a fool according to his folly,or you yourself will be just like him.
5. Answer a fool according to his folly,or he will be wise in his own eyes.
6. Sending a message by the hands of a foolis like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
7. Like the useless legs of one who is lameis a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
8. Like tying a stone in a slingis the giving of honour to a fool.
9. Like a thorn-bush in a drunkard’s handis a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
10. Like an archer who wounds at randomis one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11. As a dog returns to its vomit,so fools repeat their folly.
12. Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?There is more hope for a fool than for them.
13. A sluggard says, ‘There’s a lion in the road,a fierce lion roaming the streets!’
14. As a door turns on its hinges,so a sluggard turns on his bed.
15. A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16. A sluggard is wiser in his own eyesthan seven people who answer discreetly.
17. Like one who grabs a stray dog by the earsis someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.
18. Like a maniac shootingflaming arrows of death
19. is one who deceives their neighbourand says, ‘I was only joking!’
20. Without wood a fire goes out;without gossip a quarrel dies down.