²⁵ How powerful have been upright sayings, And what doth reproof from you reprove?

⁴ The stumbling one do thy words raise up, And bowing knees thou dost strengthen.

¹¹ Apples of gold in imagery of silver, `Is' the word spoken at its fit times.

²¹ Death and life `are' in the power of the tongue, And those loving it eat its fruit.

²¹ To the wise in heart is called, `Intelligent,' And sweetness of lips increaseth learning.

²² A fountain of life `is' understanding to its possessors, The instruction of fools is folly.

²³ The heart of the wise causeth his mouth to act wisely, And by his lips he increaseth learning,

²⁴ Sayings of pleasantness `are' a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul, and healing to the bone.

¹⁸ A rash speaker is like piercings of a sword, And the tongue of the wise is healing.

³ and against his three friends hath his anger burned, because that they have not found an answer, and condemn Job.

²⁵ And if not now, who doth prove me a liar, And doth make of nothing my word?

³⁴ And how do ye comfort me `with' vanity, And in your answers hath been left trespass?

³ Is there an end to words of wind? Or what doth embolden thee that thou answerest?

⁴ I also, like you, might speak, If your soul were in my soul's stead. I might join against you with words, And nod at you with my head.

⁵ I might harden you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips might be sparing.

⁵ O that ye would keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom.

¹⁰ The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and, written `by' the upright, words of truth.

¹¹ Words of the wise `are' as goads, and as fences planted `by' the masters of collections, they have been given by one shepherd.