“The talk of a fool is a rod for his back”: “The talk of a fool” is literally “in the mouth of a fool,” meaning “the talk of a fool” or “what a fool says.” The Hebrew at the end of this line is difficult to interpret because it says “a rod of pride,” which Revised Standard Version has changed to “a rod for his back”. The change made by Revised Standard Version is followed by most other translations, and this line then becomes similar to 10.13b. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives the Hebrew form an “A” rating and recommends interpreting this line as “In the mouth of a fool is a rod to punish pride.” In this sense “punish” is included in the meaning of “rod”, and it is “pride” that receives the punishment. The only model translation available that follows the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommendation is Contemporary English Version, which renders “mouth of a fool” as “stupid talk”: “Proud fools are punished for their stupid talk.” We may follow this model in an active sense by saying, for example, “What a fool says punishes him for being proud” or “The talk of a fool is like a stick that beats his pride.”

“But the lips of the wise will preserve them”: “The lips of the wise” means “the talk of the wise” or “what the wise say.” “Preserve” renders a word meaning to “guard,” “protect,” or “keep.” This protection contrasts with the punishment brought on the fool by his foolish talk. We may translate, for example, “but the talk of the wise saves them.” See Good News Translation.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .