# any prudent person is silent

Those who do not want the evil people to harm them will not speak out against the evil deeds. AT: "wise people do not speak about the evil things people are doing"

# for it is an evil time

Here "an evil time" represents a time when people are evil and do evil deeds. AT: "for it is a time when people are evil" or "for people do evil things" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])