Proverbs 26:1–12

It shouldn’t snow in summer or rain at harvest.

Neither should a foolish person ever be honored.

²Curses will not harm someone who is innocent;

they are like sparrows or swallows that fly around and never land.

³Whips are for horses, and harnesses are for donkeys,

so paddles are good for fools.

⁴Don’t answer fools when they speak foolishly,

or you will be just like them.

⁵Answer fools when they speak foolishly,

or they will think they are really wise.

⁶Sending a message by a foolish person

is like cutting off your feet or drinking poison.

⁷A wise saying spoken by a fool

is as useless as the legs of a crippled person.

⁸Giving honor to a foolish person

is like tying a stone in a slingshot.

⁹A wise saying spoken by a fool

is like a thorn stuck in the hand of a drunk.

¹⁰Hiring a foolish person or anyone just passing by

is like an archer shooting at just anything.

¹¹A fool who repeats his foolishness

is like a dog that goes back to what it has thrown up.

¹²There is more hope for a foolish person

than for those who think they are wise.