16 A sluggard is wiser in his own eyesthan seven people who answer discreetly.
17 Like one who grabs a stray dog by the earsis someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.
18 Like a maniac shootingflaming arrows of death
19 is one who deceives their neighbourand says, ‘I was only joking!’
20 Without wood a fire goes out;without gossip a quarrel dies down.
21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;they go down to the inmost parts.