11 Surely the serpent will │ If bites the snake before the bite without enchantment; and │ charm is sung, then what is the ¹a babbler is no better. │ profit of the skilful tongue? │ ¹ _Hebrew_ the master of │ the tongue. │ (11.) =If bites the serpent= (with the article, and therefore generic――serpents generally) =without= (בלוא; we may well suppose that the full form is used not without meaning; it occurs Isaiah lv. 1, 2, in the sense of ‘the absence of,’ which well suits the context here,) =whispering= (occurs Isaiah ii. 3, 20, and xxvi. 6; Jeremiah viii. 17, etc.), =and= there is =nothing= of =profit to the master of the tongue= (with article, hence generic. The rendering of the Authorized Version is derived from the Vulgate. The alliteration shows that the aphorism is equivocal, it is the converse of the former: skill will help force, but after the mischief is done skill is of no use. There is also here an ironical depreciation of serpent-charming). 12 The words of a wise man’s │ Each word of a wise man’s mouth _are_ ¹gracious; but the │ mouth is grace, but the lips of lips of a fool will swallow up │ a fool will swallow him apace. himself. │ │ ¹ _Hebrew_ grace. │ (12.) =The words of= (in the usual sense of reasonings) =the mouth of a wise man, a favour= (_i.e._ are each one so), =but the lips of= the =foolish swallow him= (future piel, occurs 2 Samuel xx. 19, 20; Job viii. 18, in the sense of ‘destroy;’ hence the LXX. render καταποντιοῦσιν; compare Matthew xiv. 30, xviii. 6. Here too we have a singular verb with a plural noun――‘any one of a fool’s words may be his destruction.’ Notice also the implied difference――‘a fool talks with his _lips_, a wise man _reasons_’). 13 The beginning of the │ The beginnings of _his_ words of his mouth _is_ │ reasonings are each a wise foolishness: and the end of │ error, and the result of what his ¹talk _is_ mischievous │ he says are disappointed madness. │ expectations, every one of │ which is mischievous. ¹ _Hebrew_ his mouth. │ (13.) =The beginning= of =words= (or reasonings) =of his mouth, elaborate follies= (סכלות in its usual sense; and the whole being without the article gives the meaning――‘Each beginning of the reasonings of his mouth is one out of a number of elaborate follies; his reasonings are themselves elaborate mistakes’), =and an end= (אחרית is used to signify the last end, Numbers xxiii. 10; see chapter vii. 8) =of his mouth= (repeated, ‘that same mouth’) =disappointed expectations= (‎‏הוללות, in its usual sense in this book) =mischievous= (singular, each one of which is so).