Lexicon :: Strong's H3684 - kᵊsîl

For he sees that even wise men die;

The fool and the stupid alike perish

And leave their wealth to others.

A senseless man [in his crude and uncultivated state] knows nothing,

Nor does a [self-righteous] fool understand this:

Consider thoughtfully, you senseless (stupid ones) among the people;

And you [dull-minded] fools, when will you become wise and understand?

“How long, O naive ones [you who are easily misled], will you love being simple-minded and undiscerning?

How long will scoffers [who ridicule and deride] delight in scoffing,

How long will fools [who obstinately mock truth] hate knowledge?

“For the turning away of the [fn]naive will kill them,

And the careless ease of [self-righteous] fools will destroy them.

The wise will inherit honor and glory,

But dishonor and shame is conferred on fools.

“O you naive or inexperienced [who are easily misled], understand prudence and seek astute common sense;

And, O you [closed-minded, self-confident] fools, understand wisdom [seek the insight and self-discipline that leads to godly living].

The proverbs of Solomon:

A wise son makes a father glad,

But a foolish [stubborn] son [who refuses to learn] is a grief to his mother.

He who hides hatred has lying lips,

And he who spreads slander is a fool.

Engaging in evil is like sport to the fool [who refuses wisdom and chases sin],

But to a man of understanding [skillful and godly] wisdom brings joy.

A shrewd man is reluctant to display his knowledge [until the proper time],

But the heart of [over-confident] fools proclaims foolishness.

Every prudent and self-disciplined man acts with knowledge,

But a [closed-minded] fool [who refuses to learn] displays his foolishness [for all to see].

Desire realized is sweet to the soul;

But it is detestable to fools to turn away from evil [which they have planned].

Leave the presence of a [shortsighted] fool,

For you will not find knowledge or hear godly wisdom from his lips.

A wise man suspects danger and cautiously avoids evil,

But the fool is arrogant and careless.

The crown of the wise is their wealth [of wisdom],

But the foolishness of [closed-minded] fools is [nothing but] folly.

Wisdom rests [silently] in the heart of one who has understanding,

But what is in the heart of [shortsighted] fools is made known.

The tongue of the wise speaks knowledge that is pleasing and acceptable,

But the [babbling] mouth of fools spouts folly.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge [sifting it as chaff from the grain];

But the hearts of [shortsighted] fools are not so.

The mind of the intelligent and discerning seeks knowledge and eagerly inquires after it,

But the mouth of the [stubborn] fool feeds on foolishness.

A wise son makes a father glad,

But a foolish man despises his mother.

A reprimand goes deeper into one who has understanding and a teachable spirit

Than a hundred lashes into a fool.

Let a man meet a [ferocious] bear robbed of her cubs

Rather than the [angry, narcissistic] fool in his folly.

Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom,

When he has no common sense or even a heart for it?

He who becomes the parent of a fool [who is spiritually blind] does so to his sorrow,

And the father of a fool [who is spiritually blind] has no joy.

[Skillful and godly] wisdom is in the presence of a person of understanding [and he recognizes it],

But the eyes of a [thickheaded] fool are on the ends of the earth.

A [closed-minded] fool does not delight in understanding,

But only in revealing his personal opinions [unwittingly displaying his self-indulgence and his stupidity].

A fool’s lips bring contention and strife,

And his mouth invites a beating.

Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity

Than a [rich] man who is twisted in his speech and is a [shortsighted] fool.

Luxury is not fitting for a fool;

Much less for a slave to rule over princes.

A foolish (ungodly) son is destruction to his father,

And the contentions of a [quarrelsome] wife are like a constant dripping [of water].

Judgments are prepared for scoffers,

And beatings for the backs of [thickheaded] fools.

There is precious treasure and oil in the house of the wise [who prepare for the future],

But a short-sighted and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it.

Do not speak in the ears of a fool,

For he will despise the [godly] wisdom of your words.

Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest,

So honor is not fitting for a [shortsighted] [fn]fool.

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

And a rod for the backs of fools [who refuse to learn].

He who trusts confidently in his own heart is a [dull, thickheaded] fool,

But he who walks in [skillful and godly] wisdom will be rescued.