13:10

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

10a
Arrogance leads only to strife,

10b but wisdom is with the well-advised.

The inexact contrast implies that a proud person does not take advice, and a wise person does not cause quarrels.

Some English versions follow the order of the Hebrew, as the Berean Standard Bible does. Other versions reorder the parallel parts in the form of a chiasm. For example:

10a
Pride leads only to arguments,

10b but those who take advice are wise. (New Century Version)

You may use whatever order is more natural in your language.

13:10a

Arrogance leads only to strife: There is a textual issue here with the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as only :

(1) The Masoretic Text has raq “only.” For example:

Arrogance produces only quarreling (God’s Word)

(2) Some scholars think that the original text was req “empty-headed, heedless.” For example:

By insolence the heedless make strife (New Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most versions.

Arrogance: This word refers to people who are proud, arrogant, or insolent. Such people do not want to accept the advice of others, so they respond by arguing and causing a quarrel.

leads only to strife: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as leads…to means to cause, produce, bring about, or result in something.

The English versions that follow the Masoretic Text all understand the word only to modify strife. One way to express this meaning is:

Arrogance causes nothing but trouble (Good News Translation)

In some languages, a translation such as “Arrogance produces only quarreling” (God’s Word), quoted above, would wrongly imply that quarreling was the only result of arrogance. (See 11:2, 16:18, and 29:23 for other results of pride.) If that is true in your language, some other ways to translate this clause are:

Arrogance inevitably leads to quarrelling
-or-
Whenever a person displays his pride and arrogance, arguments will always be the result.

13:10b

but wisdom is with the well-advised: This line means that wisdom is a characteristic of people who are humble enough to listen to advice. Some versions express this line as a command. For example:

Be sensible and take advice. (Contemporary English Version)

This may be a good option in some languages.

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