| 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 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. |
|
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. | Therefore, take care to live as intelligent people, and do not be like those who are senseless. Make the most of the present time, for this is a wicked age. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
