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.

8 He who teaches a fool is as one who teaches a man who slumbers.

In the end he will say, “What is it?”9-10 [fn]

11 Weep for the dead, for he lacks light.

Weep for a fool, for he lacks understanding.

Weep more sweetly for the dead, because he has found rest,

but the life of the fool is worse than death.

12 Mourning for the dead lasts seven days,

but for a fool and an ungodly man, it lasts all the days of his life.

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.

14 What would be heavier than lead?

What is its name, but “Fool”?

15 Sand, salt, and a mass of iron is easier to bear

than a man without understanding.

16 Timber girded and bound into a building will not be released with shaking.

So a heart established in due season on well advised counsel will not be afraid.

17 A heart settled upon a thoughtful understanding

is as an ornament of plaster on a polished wall.

18 Fences set on a high place will not stand against the wind;

so a fearful heart in the imagination of a fool will not stand against any fear.