13 Don’t talk much with a foolish man, and don’t go to one who has no understanding. Beware of him, lest you have trouble and be defiled in his onslaught. Turn away from him, and you will find rest, and you won’t be wearied in his madness. (WEB) 14 What would be heavier than lead? What is its name, but “Fool”? (WEB) 15 Sand, salt, and a mass of iron is easier to bear than a man without understanding. (WEB)
Sirach 22:13–15
Semantically similar passages
Proverbs 14:6–8
6 A mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. 7 Stay away from a foolish man; you will gain no knowledge from his speech. 8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them.
Proverbs 27:2–4
2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth— a stranger, and not your own lips. 3 A stone is heavy and sand is a burden, but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both. 4 Wrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?
Proverbs 23:8–10
8 You will vomit up what little you have eaten and waste your pleasant words. 9 Do not speak to a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words. 10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
Sirach 8:16–18
16 Don’t fight with a wrathful man. Don’t travel with him through the desert, for blood is as nothing in his sight. Where there is no help, he will overthrow you. (WEB) 17 Don’t consult with a fool, for he will not be able to keep a secret. (WEB) 18 Do no secret thing before a stra… (WEB)
Proverbs 29:19–21
19 A servant cannot be corrected by words alone; though he understands, he will not respond. 20 Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him. 21 A servant pampered from his youth will bring grief in the end.
Proverbs 27:21–23
21 A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but a man is tested by the praise accorded him. 22 Though you grind a fool like grain with mortar and a pestle, yet his folly will not depart from him. 23 Be sure to know the state of your flocks, and pay close attention…
Proverbs 26:3–5
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools! 4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be like him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.
Sirach 22:7–9
7 He who teaches a fool is like one who glues potsherds together, even like one who wakes a sleeper out of a deep sleep. (WEB) 8 He who teaches a fool is as one who teaches a man who slumbers. In the end he will say, “What is it?” (WEB) 9 If children live honestly, and have wher… (KJV)
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