1Praise for a fool is out of place, like snow in summer or rain at harvest time.

2Curses cannot hurt you unless you deserve them. They are like birds that fly by and never settle.

3You have to whip a horse, you have to bridle a donkey, and you have to beat a fool.

4If you answer a silly question, you are just as silly as the person who asked it.

5Give a silly answer to a silly question, and the one who asked it will realize that he's not as clever as he thinks.

6If you let a fool deliver a message, you might as well cut off your own feet; you are asking for trouble.

7A fool can use a proverb about as well as crippled people can use their legs.

8Praising someone who is stupid makes as much sense as tying a stone in a sling.

9A fool quoting a wise saying reminds you of a drunk trying to pick a thorn out of his hand.

10An employer who hires any fool that comes along is only hurting everybody concerned.26.10 Verse 10 in Hebrew is unclear.

11A fool doing some stupid thing a second time is like a dog going back to its vomit.

12The most stupid fool is better off than someone who thinks he is wise when he is not.

13Why don't lazy people ever get out of the house? What are they afraid of? Lions?

14Lazy people turn over in bed. They get no farther than a door swinging on its hinges.

15Some people are too lazy to put food in their own mouths.

16A lazy person will think he is more intelligent than seven people who can give good reasons for their opinions.

17Getting involved in an argument that is none of your business is like going down the street and grabbing a dog by the ears.

18-19Someone who misleads someone else and then claims that he was only joking is like a mad person playing with a deadly weapon.

20Without wood, a fire goes out; without gossip, quarrelling stops.

21Charcoal keeps the embers glowing, wood keeps the fire burning, and troublemakers keep arguments alive.

22Gossip is so tasty! How we love to swallow it!

23Insincere26.23 One ancient translation Insincere; Hebrew Burning. talk that hides what you are really thinking is like a fine glaze26.23 Probable text fine glaze; Hebrew unrefined silver. on a cheap clay pot.

24A hypocrite hides hatred behind flattering words. 25They may sound fine, but don't believe him, because his heart is filled to the brim with hate. 26He may disguise his hatred, but everyone will see the evil things he does.

27People who set traps for others get caught themselves. People who start landslides get crushed.

28You have to hate someone to want to hurt him with lies. Insincere talk brings nothing but ruin.