26:1   Praise for a fool is out of place, like snow in summer or rain at harvest time.

26:2   Curses cannot hurt you unless you deserve them. They are like birds that fly by and never light.

26:3   You have to whip a horse, you have to bridle a donkey, and you have to beat a fool.

26:4   If you answer a silly question, you are just as silly as the person who asked it.

26:5   Give a silly answer to a silly question, and the one who asked it will realize that he's not as smart as he thinks.

26:6   If you let a fool deliver a message, you might as well cut off your own feet; you are asking for trouble.

26:7   A fool can use a proverb about as well as crippled people can use their legs.

26:8   Praising someone who is stupid makes as much sense as tying a stone in a sling.

26:9   A fool quoting a wise saying reminds you of a drunk trying to pick a thorn out of his hand.

26:10   An employer who hires any fool that comes along is only hurting everybody concerned.

26:11   A fool doing some stupid thing a second time is like a dog going back to its vomit.

26:12   The most stupid fool is better off than those who think they are wise when they are not.

26:13   Why don't lazy people ever get out of the house? What are they afraid of ? Lions?

26:14   Lazy people turn over in bed. They get no farther than a door swinging on its hinges.

26:15   Some people are too lazy to put food in their own mouths.

26:16   A lazy person will think he is smarter than seven men who can give good reasons for their opinions.

26:17   Getting involved in an argument that is none of your business is like going down the street and grabbing a dog by the ears.

26:18   Someone who tricks someone else and then claims that he was only joking is like a crazy person playing with a deadly weapon.

26:19   (SEE 26:18)

26:20   Without wood, a fire goes out; without gossip, quarreling stops.

26:21   Charcoal keeps the embers glowing, wood keeps the fire burning, and troublemakers keep arguments alive.

26:22   Gossip is so tasty! How we love to swallow it!

26:23   Insincere talk that hides what you are really thinking is like a fine glaze on a cheap clay pot.

26:24   A hypocrite hides hate behind flattering words.

26:25   They may sound fine, but don't believe him, because his heart is filled to the brim with hate.

26:26   He may disguise his hatred, but everyone will see the evil things he does.

26:27   People who set traps for others get caught themselves. People who start landslides get crushed.

26:28   You have to hate someone to want to hurt him with lies. Insincere talk brings nothing but ruin.