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26:1  Just as snow should not fall in summer, nor rain at harvest time, so people should not honor a fool.
26:2  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.
26:3  You have to whip a horse, you have to put a bridle on a mule, and you have to beat a fool.
26:4  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.
26:5  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.
26:6  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.
26:7  A fool trying to say something wise is like a crippled person trying to walk.
26:8  Showing honor to a fool is as bad as tying a rock in a sling.
26:9  A fool trying to say something wise is like a drunk trying to pick a thorn out of his hand.
26:10  Hiring a fool or a stranger who is just passing by is dangerous—you don’t know who might get hurt.
26:11  Like a dog that returns to its vomit, a fool does the same foolish things again and again.
26:12  People who think they are wise when they are not are worse than fools.
26:13  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!”
26:14  Like a door on its hinges, a lazy man turns back and forth on his bed.
26:15  Lazy people are too lazy to lift the food from their plate to their mouth.
26:16  Lazy people think they are seven times smarter than the people who really have good sense.
26:17  To step between two people arguing is as foolish as going out into the street and grabbing a stray dog by the ears.
26:18  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.
26:19  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.
26:20  Without wood, a fire goes out. Without gossip, arguments stop.
26:21  Charcoal keeps the coals glowing, wood keeps the fire burning, and troublemakers keep arguments alive.
26:22  People love to hear gossip. It is like tasty food on its way to the stomach.
26:23  Good words that hide an evil heart are like silver paint over a cheap, clay pot.
26:24  Evil people say things to make themselves look good, but they keep their evil plans a secret.
26:25  What they say sounds good, but don’t trust them. They are full of evil ideas.
26:26  They hide their evil plans with nice words, but in the end, everyone will see the evil they do.
26:27  Whoever digs a pit can fall into it. Whoever rolls a large stone can be crushed by it.
26:28  Liars hate the people they hurt, and false praise can hurt people.