Proverbs 26:4-16

Don’t answer fools when they speak foolishly, or you will be just like them. Answer fools when they speak foolishly, or they will think they are really wise. Sending a message by a foolish person is like cutting off your feet or drinking poison. A wise saying spoken by a fool is as useless as the legs of a crippled person. Giving honor to a foolish person is like tying a stone in a slingshot. A wise saying spoken by a fool is like a thorn stuck in the hand of a drunk. Hiring a foolish person or anyone just passing by is like an archer shooting at just anything. A fool who repeats his foolishness is like a dog that goes back to what it has thrown up. There is more hope for a foolish person than for those who think they are wise. The lazy person says, “There’s a lion in the road! There’s a lion in the streets!” Like a door turning back and forth on its hinges, the lazy person turns over and over in bed. Lazy people may put their hands in the dish, but they are too tired to lift the food to their mouths. The lazy person thinks he is wiser than seven people who give sensible answers.