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20:1  There is an admonition that is untimely, but the silent person is the wise one.
20:2  It is much better to admonish than to lose one’s temper;
20:3  one who admits a fault will be kept from disgrace.
20:4  Like a eunuch lusting to violate a young woman is the one who does right under compulsion.
20:5  One is silent and is thought wise; another, for being talkative, is disliked.
20:6  One is silent, having nothing to say; another is silent, biding his time.
20:7  The wise remain silent till the right time comes, but a boasting fool misses the proper time.
20:8  Whoever talks too much is detested; whoever pretends to authority is hated.
20:9  There is the misfortune that brings success; and there is the gain that turns into loss.
20:10  There is the gift that profits you nothing, and there is the gift that must be paid back double.
20:11  There is the loss for the sake of glory, and there is the one who rises above humble circumstances.
20:12  There is one who buys much for little, but pays for it seven times over.
20:13  The wise make themselves beloved by a few words, but the courtesies of fools are wasted.
20:14  A gift from a fool will do you no good, for in his eyes this one gift is equal to many.
20:15  He gives little, criticizes often, and opens his mouth like a town crier. He lends today and asks for it tomorrow; such a person is hateful.
20:16  A fool says, “I have no friends nor thanks for my generosity.” Those who eat his bread have a mocking tongue.
20:17  How many will ridicule him, and how often!
20:18  A slip on the floor is better than a slip of the tongue; in like manner the downfall of the wicked comes quickly.
20:19  A coarse person, an untimely story; the ignorant are always ready to offer it.
20:20  A proverb spoken by a fool is unwelcome, for he does not tell it at the proper time.
20:21  There is a person whose poverty prevents him from sinning, but when he takes his rest he has no regrets.
20:22  There is a person who is destroyed through shame, and ruined by foolish posturing.
20:23  There is one who promises a friend out of shame, and so makes an enemy needlessly.
20:24  A lie is a foul blot in a person, yet it is always on the lips of the ignorant.
20:25  A thief is better than an inveterate liar, yet both will suffer ruin.
20:26  A liar’s way leads to dishonor, and his shame remains ever with him.
20:27  The wise gain promotion with few words, the prudent please the great.
20:28  Those who work the land have abundant crops, and those who please the great are pardoned their faults.
20:29  Favors and gifts blind the eyes; like a muzzle over the mouth they silence reproofs.
20:30  Hidden wisdom and unseen treasure— what value has either?
20:31  Better are those who hide their folly than those who hide their wisdom.