1  ^dA soft answer turns away wrath,

but ^ea harsh word stirs up anger.

18  ^eA hot-tempered man ^fstirs up strife,

but he who is ^gslow to anger quiets contention.

32  ^jWhoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,

and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

1  ^mBetter is a dry morsel with quiet

than a house full of feasting¹ with strife.

14  The beginning of strife is like letting out water,

so ^gquit before the quarrel breaks out.

19  Whoever loves transgression loves strife;

he who ^lmakes his door high seeks destruction.

27  Whoever ^wrestrains his words has knowledge,

and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

18  ^rThe lot puts an end to quarrels

and decides between powerful contenders.

19  A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city,

and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.

11  ^pGood sense makes one slow to anger,

and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

12  A king’s wrath is like ^qthe growling of a lion,

but his ^rfavor is like ^sdew on the grass.

19  A man of great wrath will pay the penalty,

for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.

3  It is an honor for a man to ^dkeep aloof from strife,

but every fool will be quarreling.

22  Do not say, ^j“I will repay evil”;

^kwait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.

29  Do not say, ^g“I will do to him as he has done to me;

I will pay the man back for what he has done.”

21  ^kIf your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,

and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

22  for you will heap ^lburning coals on his head,

and the Lord will reward you.

28  A man ^swithout self-control

is like ^ta city broken into and left without walls.

4  Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,

but who can stand before ^bjealousy?

8  ^oScoffers set a city aflame,

but the wise turn away wrath.

9  If a wise man has an argument with a fool,

the fool only rages and laughs, and there is ^pno quiet.

11  A fool gives full vent to his spirit,

but a wise man quietly holds it back.

22  ^dA man of wrath stirs up strife,

and one given to anger causes much transgression.

32  If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,

or if you have been devising evil,

^eput your hand on your mouth.

33  For pressing milk produces curds,

pressing the nose produces blood,

and pressing anger produces strife.