21 As silver is proved in a welling place, and gold is proved in a furnace; so a man is proved by the mouth of his praisers (or so a person is proved, or assayed, by the words of his praisers).
22 Though thou poundedest a fool in a mortar, as with a pestle smiting above dried barley (or like pounding dried barley with a pestle), his folly shall not be done away from him.