fool

²The foolish do not accept words of prudence, unless you say what is already turning in his heart.

¹¹A foolish one offers everything on his mind. A wise one reserves and defers until later.

⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The foolish despise wisdom as well as doctrine.

⁶The lips of the foolish meddle in disputes. And his mouth provokes conflicts.

⁹A wise man, if he were to contend with the foolish, whether in anger or in laughter, would find no rest.

²²But I say to you, that anyone who becomes angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment. But whoever will have called his brother, ‘Idiot,’ shall be liable to the council. Then, whoever will have called him, ‘Worthless,’ shall be liable to the fires of Hell.

²⁶Whoever trusts in his own heart is a fool. But whoever treads wisely, the same shall be saved.

¹⁹so also is the man who harms his friend by deceitfulness. And when he has been apprehended, he says, “I did it jokingly.”

⁷The mouth of the foolish is his destruction, and his own lips are the ruin of his soul.

²³The foolish work wickedness as if in jest. But wisdom is prudence to a man.

⁷Go against a foolish man, and he does not acknowledge lips of prudence. ⁸The wisdom of a discerning man is to understand his way. And the imprudence of the foolish is to be wandering astray. ⁹The foolish will speak mockingly of sin. But grace lingers among the just.

³A whip is for a horse, and a muzzle is for donkey, and a rod is for the back of the imprudent. ⁴Do not respond to the foolish according to his folly, lest you become like him. ⁵Respond to the foolish according to his folly, lest he imagine himself to be wise. ⁶Whoever sends words by a foolish messenger has lame feet and drinks iniquity. ⁷In the manner of a lame man who has beautiful legs to no purpose, so also is a parable unfit for the mouth of the foolish. ⁸Just like one who casts a stone into the pile of Mercury, so also is he who gives honor to the foolish.

¹⁶The wise fear, and so turn away from evil. The foolish leap ahead with confidence.

¹Admonish them to be subordinate to the rulers and authorities, to obey their dictates, to be prepared for every good work, ²to speak evil of no one, not to be litigious, but to be reserved, displaying all meekness toward all men. ³For, in times past, we ourselves were also unwise, unbelieving, erring, servants of various desires and pleasures, acting with malice and envy, being hateful and hating one another. ⁴But then the kindness and humanity of God our Savior appeared. ⁵And he saved us, not by works of justice that we had done, but, in accord with his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and by the renovation of the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he has poured out upon us in abundance, through Jesus Christ our Savior,

⁹Do not speak into the ears of the unwise. They will despise the doctrine of your eloquence.

²⁸If he would remain silent, even the foolish would be considered wise, and if he closes his lips, intelligent.

¹Unto the end. A Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They were corrupted, and they have become abominable in their studies. There is no one who does good; there is not even one.