1. A man who separates himself seeks his own ta'avah (desire); he defies all tushiyyah (wisdom, sound judgment).
2. A kesil (fool) hath no delight in tevunah (understanding), but only in airing out his lev (mind, opinions).
3. When the rashah cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with dishonor, cherpah (reproach, disgrace).
4. The devarim of a man's mouth are deep mayim; the makor chochmah is a flowing stream.
5. It is not tov to show partiality to the rashah, to subvert the tzaddik in mishpat.
6. The sfatayim (lips) of a kesil enter into contention, and his peh (mouth) inviteth blows.
7. The peh (mouth) of a kesil is his undoing, and his sfatayim (lips) are the mokesh (snare) of his nefesh.
8. The devarim of a nirgan (gossip, talebearer, slanderer) are like mitlachamim (delicious tidbits), and they go down into the innermost parts of the beten (belly).
9. He also that is slack in his work is brother to him that is ba'al mashchit (master of destruction).
10. The Shem of Hashem is a strong migdal (tower), the tzaddik runneth into it, and is safe.
11. The oisher's wealth is his strong city, and is a high chomah in his own conceit.
12. Before shever (destruction) the lev ish is haughty, and before kavod is anavah (humility).
13. He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and kelimmah (reproach, shame) unto him.