6
Do not take glory for yourself before the king, and do not put yourself in the place of the great:
7
For it is better to have it said to you, Come up here; than for you to be put down in a lower place before the ruler.
8
Do not be quick to go to law about what you have seen, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbour has put you to shame?
9
Have a talk with your neighbour himself about your cause, but do not give away the secret of another:
10
Or your hearer may say evil of you, and your shame will not be turned away.
11
A word at the right time is like apples of gold in a network of silver.
12
Like a nose-ring of gold and an ornament of the best gold, is a wise man who says sharp words to an ear ready to give attention.
13
As the cold of snow in the time of grain-cutting, so is a true servant to those who send him; for he gives new life to the soul of his master.
14
As clouds and wind without rain, so is one who takes credit for an offering he has not given.
15
A judge is moved by one who for a long time undergoes wrongs without protest, and by a soft tongue even bone is broken.
16
If you have honey, take only as much as is enough for you; for fear that, being full of it, you may not be able to keep it down.