¹Som Sne om Somren og Regn Høsten så lidt hører Ære sig til for en Tåbe.

¹As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honour [is] not comely for a fool.

²Som en Spurv i Fart, som en Svale i Flugt så rammer ej Banden mod sagesløs Mand.

²As a bird by wandering, as a swallow by flying, So reviling without cause doth not come.

³Svøbe for Hest, Bidsel for Æsel og Ris for Tåbers Ryg.

³A whip is for a horse, a bridle for an ass, And a rod for the back of fools.

⁴Svar ej Tåben efter hans Dårskab, at ikke du selv skal blive som han.

⁴Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou be like to him — even thou.

⁵Svar Tåben efter hans Dårskab, at han ikke skal tykkes sig viis.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

⁶Den afhugger Fødderne og inddrikker Vold, som sender Bud ved en Tåbe.

⁶He is cutting off feet, he is drinking injury, Who is sending things by the hand of a fool.

⁷Slappe som den lammes Ben er Ordsprog i Tåbers Mund.

⁷Weak have been the two legs of the lame, And a parable in the mouth of fools.

⁸Som en, der binder Stenen fast i Slyngen, er den, der hædrer en Tåbe.

⁸As one who is binding a stone in a sling, So [is] he who is giving honour to a fool.

⁹Som en Tornekæp, der falder den drukne i Hænde, er Ordsprog i Tåbers Mund.

⁹A thorn hath gone up into the hand of a drunkard, And a parable in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰Som en Skytte, der sårer enhver, som kommer, er den, der lejer en Tåbe og en drukken.

¹⁰Great [is] the Former of all, And He is rewarding a fool, And is rewarding transgressors.

¹¹Som en Hund, der vender sig om til sit Spy, er en Tåbe, der gentager Dårskab.

¹¹As a dog hath returned to its vomit, A fool is repeating his folly.

¹²Ser du en Mand, der tykkes sig viis, for en Tåbe er der mere Håb end for ham.

¹²Thou hast seen a man wise in his own eyes, More hope of a fool than of him!

¹³Den lade siger: "Et Rovdyr på Vejen, en Løve ude på Torvene!"

¹³The slothful hath said, `A lion [is] in the way, A lion [is] in the broad places.`

¹⁴Døren drejer sig på sit Hængsel, den lade på sit Leje.

¹⁴The door turneth round on its hinge, And the slothful on his bed.

¹⁵Den lade rækker til Fadet, men gider ikke føre Hånden til Munden.

¹⁵The slothful hath hid his hand in a dish, He is weary of bringing it back to his mouth.

¹⁶Den lade tykkes sig større Vismand end syv, der har kloge Svar.

¹⁶Wiser [is] the slothful in his own eyes, Than seven [men] returning a reason.

¹⁷Den griber en Hund i Øret, som blander sig i uvedkommende Strid.

¹⁷Laying hold on the ears of a dog, [Is] a passer-by making himself wrath for strife not his own.

¹⁸Som en vanvittig Mand, der udslynger Gløder, Pile og Død,

¹⁸As [one] pretending to be feeble, Who is casting sparks, arrows, and death,

¹⁹er den, der sviger sin Næste og siger: "Jeg spøger jo kun."

¹⁹So hath a man deceived his neighbour, And hath said, `Am not I playing?`

²⁰Er der intet Brænde, går Ilden ud, er der ingen Bagtaler, stilles Trætte.

²⁰Without wood is fire going out, And without a tale-bearer, contention ceaseth,

²¹Trækul til Gløder og Brænde til Ild og trættekær Mand til at optænde Kiv.

²¹Coal to burning coals, and wood to fire, And a man of contentions to kindle strife.

²²Bagtalerens Ord er som Lækkerbidskener, de synker dybt i Legemets Kamre.

²²The words of a tale-bearer [are] as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down [to] the inner parts of the heart.

²³Som Sølvovertræk på et Lerkar er ondsindet Hjerte bag glatte Læber.

²³Silver of dross spread over potsherd, [Are] burning lips and an evil heart.

²⁴Avindsmand hykler med Læben, i sit Indre huser han Svig;

²⁴By his lips doth a hater dissemble, And in his heart he placeth deceit,

²⁵gør han Røsten venlig, tro ham dog ikke, thi i hans Hjerte er syvfold Gru.

²⁵When his voice is gracious trust not in him, For seven abominations [are] in his heart.

²⁶Den, der dølger sit Had med Svig, hans Ondskab kommer frem i Folkets Forsamling.

²⁶Hatred is covered by deceit, Revealed is its wickedness in an assembly.

²⁷I Graven, man graver, falder man selv, af Stenen, man vælter, rammes man selv.

²⁷Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And the roller of a stone, to him it turneth.

²⁸Løgnetunge giver mange Hug, hyklersk Mund volder Fald.

²⁸A lying tongue hateth its bruised ones, And a flattering mouth worketh an overthrow!