| Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool. | Lying lips conceal hatred, and anyone who slanders another is a fool. |
| Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool— how much worse lying lips to a ruler! | Fine words are not becoming to a fool, and much less are false words to a noble. |
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| A fool spurns a parent’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence. | A fool spurns his father’s correction, but whoever heeds admonition is prudent. |
| The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin. | A wise man will heed commandments, but a babbling fool will come to grief. |
| It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. | It is honorable to avoid strife, but every fool is quarrelsome. |
| Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. | A fool gives free rein to his anger, but a wise man bides his time and calms it. |
| Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. | A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only delights in expressing his own opinions. |
| The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating. | The lips of a fool cause strife, and his mouth provokes a flogging. |
| Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult. | A fool is quick to show his anger, but a prudent man ignores an insult. |
| Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. | Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; if he closes his lips, he is regarded as intelligent. |
| Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips. | The words of a wise man win favor, but a fool’s tongue is his undoing. |
| Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. | Let no one delude himself. If anyone among you considers himself to be wise by worldly standards, he must become a fool in order to be truly wise. |
| For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. | Indeed, the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. |
| A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother. | A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son gives grief to his mother. |
| And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. | A highway will be there that will be called the Way of Holiness. No one who is unclean may pass over it; it will serve as a path for pilgrims and no fool will be able to use it. |
| Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. | Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but he who mingles with fools will suffer harm. |
| The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. | The tongue of the just man is like pure silver; the heart of the wicked is without worth. |
| The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. | The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools are those who despise wisdom and instruction. |
| Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. | However, those who want riches fall into temptations and are trapped into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. |
| When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. | When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, for God has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill the vow you have made. |
| Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. | Are you not aware that wrongdoers will never inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, extortioners, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. |
