¹ As snow in summer,
and as rain in harvest,
so honour is not seemly for a fool.

² As the bird by wandering,
as the swallow by flying,
so the curse causeless shall not come.

³ A whip for the horse,
a bridle for the ass,
and a rod for the fool's back.

⁴ Answer not a fool according to his folly,
lest thou also be like unto him.
⁵ Answer a fool according to his folly,
lest he be wise in his own conceit.

⁶ He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool
cutteth off the feet,
and drinketh damage.

⁷ The legs of the lame are not equal:
so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

⁸ As he that bindeth a stone in a sling,
so is he that giveth honour to a fool.

⁹ As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard,
so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰ The great God that formed all things
both rewardeth the fool,
and rewardeth transgressors.

¹¹ As a dog returneth to his vomit,
so a fool returneth to his folly.

¹² Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit?
there is more hope of a fool than of him.

¹³ The slothful man saith,
There is a lion in the way;
a lion is in the streets.

¹⁴ As the door turneth upon his hinges,
so doth the slothful upon his bed.

¹⁵ The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom;
it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

¹⁶ The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit
than seven men that can render a reason.

¹⁷ He that passeth by,
and meddleth with strife belonging not to him,
is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

¹⁸ As a mad man
who casteth firebrands,
arrows,
and death,
¹⁹ So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour,
and saith,
Am not I in sport?

²⁰ Where no wood is,
there the fire goeth out:
so where there is no talebearer,
the strife ceaseth.

²¹ As coals are to burning coals,
and wood to fire;
so is a contentious man
to kindle strife.

²² The words of a talebearer are as wounds,
and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

²³ Burning lips
and a wicked heart
are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.

²⁴ He that hateth dissembleth with his lips,
and layeth up deceit within him;
²⁵ When he speaketh fair,
believe him not:
for there are seven abominations in his heart.
²⁶ Whose hatred is covered by deceit,
his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.

²⁷ Whoso diggeth a pit
shall fall therein:
and he that rolleth a stone,
it will return upon him.

²⁸ A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it;
and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.