Proverbs 26

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Wise Sayings About Fools

26 <1> Just as snow should not fall in summer, nor rain at harvest time, so people should not honor a fool.

<2> Don't worry when someone curses you for no reason. Nothing bad will happen. Such words are like birds that fly past and never stop.

<3> You have to whip a horse, you have to put a bridle on a mule, and you have to beat a fool.

<4-5> There is no good way to answer fools when they say something stupid. If you answer them, then you, too, will look like a fool. If you don't answer them, they will think they are smart.

<6> Never let a fool carry your message. If you do, it will be like cutting off your own feet. You are only asking for trouble.

<7> A fool trying to say something wise is like a crippled person trying to walk.

<8> Showing honor to a fool is as bad as tying a rock in a sling.[60]

<9> A fool trying to say something wise is like a drunk trying to pick a thorn out of his hand.

<10> Hiring a fool or a stranger who is just passing by is dangerous-you don't know who might get hurt.

<11> Like a dog that returns to its vomit, a fool does the same foolish things again and again.

<12> People who think they are wise when they are not are worse than fools.

<13> A person who is lazy and wants to stay home says, "What if there is a lion out there? Really, there might be a lion in the street!"

<14> Like a door on its hinges, a lazy man turns back and forth on his bed.

<15> Lazy people are too lazy to lift the food from their plate to their mouth.

<16> Lazy people think they are seven times smarter than the people who really have good sense.

<17> To step between two people arguing is as foolish as going out into the street and grabbing a stray dog by the ears.

<18-19> Anyone who would trick someone and then say, "I was only joking" is like a fool who shoots flaming arrows into the air and accidentally kills someone.

<20> Without wood, a fire goes out. Without gossip, arguments stop.

<21> Charcoal keeps the coals glowing, wood keeps the fire burning, and troublemakers keep arguments alive.

<22> People love to hear gossip. It is like tasty food on its way to the stomach.

<23> Good words that hide an evil heart are like silver paint over a cheap, clay pot. <24> Evil people say things to make themselves look good, but they keep their evil plans a secret. <25> What they say sounds good, but don't trust them. They are full of evil ideas. <26> They hide their evil plans with nice words, but in the end, everyone will see the evil they do.

<27> Whoever digs a pit can fall into it. Whoever rolls a large stone can be crushed by it.

<28> Liars hate the people they hurt, and false praise can hurt people.