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26:1  It shouldn’t snow in summer or rain at harvest. Neither should a foolish person ever be honored.
26:2  Curses will not harm someone who is innocent. They are like sparrows or swallows that fly around and never land.
26:3  A whip is used to guide a horse, and a harness is used for a donkey. In the same way, a paddle is used on a foolish person to guide him.
26:4  Don’t give a foolish person a foolish answer. If you do, you will be just like him.
26:5  But answer a foolish person as he should be answered. If you don’t, he will think he is really wise.
26:6  Don’t send a message by a foolish person. That would be like cutting off your feet or drinking poison.
26:7  A wise saying spoken by a fool does no good. It is like the legs of a crippled person.
26:8  Giving honor to a foolish person does no good. It is like tying a stone in a slingshot.
26:9  A wise saying spoken by a fool is like a thorn stuck in the hand of a drunk.
26:10  Someone might employ a foolish person or anyone just passing by. That employer is like an archer who shoots at anything he sees.
26:11  A dog eats what it throws up. And a foolish person repeats his foolishness.
26:12  Some people think they are wise. There is more hope for a foolish person than for them.
26:13  The lazy person says, “There’s a lion in the road. There’s a lion in the streets!”
26:14  The lazy person is like a door that turns back and forth on its hinges. He stays in bed and turns over and over.
26:15  The lazy person may put his hand in the dish. But he’s too tired to lift the food to his mouth.
26:16  The lazy person thinks he is wiser than seven people who give sensible answers.
26:17  To grab a dog by the ears is asking for trouble. So is interfering in someone else’s quarrel if you’re just passing by.
26:18  A person shouldn’t trick his neighbor and then say, “I was just joking!” That is like a madman shooting deadly, burning arrows.
26:19  A person shouldn’t trick his neighbor and then say, “I was just joking!” That is like a madman shooting deadly, burning arrows.
26:20  Without wood, a fire will go out. And without gossip, quarreling will stop.
26:21  Charcoal and wood keep a fire going. In the same way, a quarrelsome person keeps an argument going.
26:22  The words of a gossip are like tasty bits of food. People take them all in.
26:23  Kind words from a wicked mind are like a shiny coating on a clay pot.
26:24  A person who hates you may fool you with his words. But in his mind he is planning evil.
26:25  His words are kind, but don’t believe him. His mind is full of evil thoughts.
26:26  He hides his hate with lies. But his evil will be plain to everyone.
26:27  Whoever digs a deep trap for others will fall into it himself. Whoever tries to roll a boulder over others will be crushed by it.
26:28  A liar hates the people he hurts. And false praise can ruin others.