| Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. | A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion. |
| The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating. | A fool’s lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings. |
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| The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. | The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels: they go down into a person’s innermost parts. |
| The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. | Yahweh’s name is a strong tower: the righteous run to him, and are safe. |
| The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale. | The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, like an unscalable wall in his own imagination. |
| Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. | Before destruction the heart of man is proud, but before honor is humility. |
| A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great. | A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men. |
| The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. | Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit. |
| He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. | Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor of Yahweh. |
| One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. | A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. |
