10 Remember: The duller the ax the harder the work;Use your head: The more brains, the less muscle.
11 If the snake bites before it’s been charmed,What’s the point in then sending for the charmer?
12-13 The words of a wise person are gracious.The talk of a fool self-destructs—He starts out talking nonsenseAnd ends up spouting insanity and evil.
14 Fools talk way too much,Chattering stuff they know nothing about.
15 A decent day’s work so fatigues foolsThat they can’t find their way back to town.
16-17 Unlucky the land whose king is a young pup,And whose princes party all night.Lucky the land whose king is mature,Where the princes behave themselvesAnd don’t drink themselves silly.
18 A shiftless man lives in a tumbledown shack;A lazy woman ends up with a leaky roof.