Don’t Be a Fool

¹It is totally out of place to promote and honor a fool,

just like it’s out of place to have snow in the summer

and rain at harvest time.

²An undeserved curse will be powerless to harm you.

It may flutter over you like a bird,

but it will find no place to land.

³Guide a horse with a whip,

direct a donkey with a bridle,

and lead a rebellious fool with a beating on his backside!

⁴Don’t respond to the words of a fool with more foolish words,

or you will become as foolish as he is!

⁵Instead, if you’re asked a silly question,

answer it with words of wisdom

so the fool doesn’t think he’s so clever.

⁶If you choose a fool to represent you,

you’re asking for trouble.

It will be as bad for you as cutting off your own feet!

⁷You can never trust the words of a fool,

just like a crippled man can’t trust his legs to support him.

⁸Give honor to a fool and watch it backfire—

like a stone tied to a slingshot.

⁹The statements of a fool will hurt others[#26:9 As translated from the Aramaic.]

like a thorn bush brandished by a drunk.

¹⁰Like a reckless archer shooting arrows at random

is the impatient employer

who hires just any fool who comes along—

someone’s going to get hurt!

¹¹Fools are famous for repeating their errors,

like dogs are known to return to their vomit.

¹²There’s only one thing worse than a fool,

and that’s the smug, conceited man

always in love with his own opinions.

Don’t Be Lazy

¹³The lazy loafer says,

“I can’t go out and look for a job—

there may be a lion out there roaming wild in the streets!”

¹⁴As a door is hinged to the wall,

so the lazy man keeps turning over, hinged to his bed!

¹⁵There are some people so lazy

they won’t even work to feed themselves.

¹⁶A self-righteous person is convinced he’s smarter[#26:16 Or “sluggard.” This speaks of a person who lives in fantasy and not reality.]

than seven wise counselors who tell him the truth.

¹⁷It’s better to grab a stray dog by its ears

than to meddle in a quarrel

that’s none of your business.

Watch Your Words

^18-19The one who is caught lying to his friend,

who says, “I didn’t mean it, I was only joking,”

can be compared to a madman

randomly shooting off deadly weapons.

²⁰It takes fuel to have a fire—

a fire dies down when you run out of fuel.

So quarrels disappear when the gossip ends.

²¹Add fuel to the fire and the blaze goes on.

So add an argumentative man to the mix,

and you’ll keep strife alive.

²²Gossip is so delicious, and how we love to swallow it!

For slander is easily absorbed into our innermost being.

²³Smooth talk can hide a corrupt heart[#26:23 As translated from the Septuagint. The Hebrew is “Burning words.”]

just like a pretty glaze covers a cheap clay pot.

²⁴Kind words can be a cover to conceal hatred of others,

for hypocrisy loves to hide behind flattery.

²⁵So don’t be drawn in by the hypocrite,

for his gracious speech is a charade,

nothing but a masquerade covering his hatred and evil on parade.

²⁶Don’t worry—he can’t keep the mask on for long.

One day his hypocrisy will be exposed before all the world.

²⁷Go ahead, set a trap for others—

and then watch as it snaps back on you!

Start a landslide and you’ll be the one who gets crushed.

²⁸Hatred is the root of slander[#26:28 Or “A slanderer hates his victims.”]

and insecurity the root of flattery.