Proverbs 26:17-23

It’s better to grab a stray dog by its ears than to meddle in a quarrel that’s none of your business. The 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. It takes fuel to have a fire— a fire dies down when you run out of fuel. So quarrels disappear when the gossip ends. Add fuel to the fire and the blaze goes on. So add an argumentative man to the mix, and you’ll keep strife alive. Gossip is so delicious, and how we love to swallow it! For slander is easily absorbed into our innermost being. Smooth talk can hide a corrupt heart just like a pretty glaze covers a cheap clay pot.