1
There is a rebuke that is untimely,
and there is the person who is wise enough to keep silent.
2
How much better it is to rebuke than to fume!
3
And the one who admits his fault will be kept from failure.
4
Like a eunuch lusting to violate a girl
is the person who does right under compulsion.
5
Some people keep silent and are thought to be wise,
while others are detested for being talkative.
6
Some people keep silent because they have nothing to say,
while others keep silent because they know when to speak.
7
The wise remain silent until the right moment,
but a boasting fool misses the right moment.
8
Whoever talks too much is detested,
and whoever pretends to authority is hated. 1