7. I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves.
8. Whoever digs a pit may fall into it, and whoever breaks through a fence may be bitten by a snake.
9. Whoever quarries stones may be hurt by them, and whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.
10. If the iron axe is blunt and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must exert more force. So wisdom has the advantage of giving success.
11. If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.
12. Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but the lips of a fool destroy him.
13. The words from his mouth begin as folly and end as grievous madness—
14. and the fool multiplies words. No one knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will happen after him?
15. The mischief of fools wearies them for he doesn’t know how to go to town.
16. Oy to you, O land, when your king is a youth and your princes feast in the morning.
17. Happy are you, O land, when your king is a son of nobles, and your princes eat at the proper time— in self-control and not in drunkenness!