12  Let a man meet ^ca she-bear robbed of her cubs

^drather than a fool in his folly.

9  Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,

for he will despise the good sense of your words.

4  ^bAnswer not a fool according to his folly,

lest you be like him yourself.

5  ^cAnswer a fool according to his folly,

lest he be ^dwise in his own eyes.

6  Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool

cuts off his own feet and ^edrinks violence.

7  Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless,

is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

8  Like one who binds the stone in the sling

is ^fone who gives honor to a fool.

9  Like ^ga thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard

is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

10  Like an archer who wounds everyone

is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.¹

11  Like ^ha dog that returns to his vomit

is ⁱa fool who repeats his folly.

22  ^xCrush a fool in a mortar with a pestle

along with crushed grain,

yet his folly will not depart from him.

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

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