1 Just as snow should not fall in summer, nor rain at harvest time, so people should not honor a fool.

2 Don’t worry when someone curses you for no reason. Nothing bad will happen. Such words are like birds that fly past and never stop.

3 You have to whip a horse, you have to put a bridle on a mule, and you have to beat a fool.

4-5 There is no good way to answer fools when they say something stupid. If you answer them, then you, too, will look like a fool. If you don’t answer them, they will think they are smart.

6 Never let a fool carry your message. If you do, it will be like cutting off your own feet. You are only asking for trouble.

7 A fool trying to say something wise is like a crippled person trying to walk.

8 Showing honor to a fool is as bad as tying a rock in a sling.

9 A fool trying to say something wise is like a drunk trying to pick a thorn out of his hand.

10 Hiring a fool or a stranger who is just passing by is dangerous—you don’t know who might get hurt.

11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit, a fool does the same foolish things again and again.

12 People who think they are wise when they are not are worse than fools.

13 A person who is lazy and wants to stay home says, “What if there is a lion out there? Really, there might be a lion in the street!”

14 Like a door on its hinges, a lazy man turns back and forth on his bed.

15 Lazy people are too lazy to lift the food from their plate to their mouth.

16 Lazy people think they are seven times smarter than the people who really have good sense.

17 To step between two people arguing is as foolish as going out into the street and grabbing a stray dog by the ears.

18-19 Anyone who would trick someone and then say, “I was only joking” is like a fool who shoots flaming arrows into the air and accidentally kills someone.

20 Without wood, a fire goes out. Without gossip, arguments stop.

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

22 People love to hear gossip. It is like tasty food on its way to the stomach.

23 Good words that hide an evil heart are like silver paint over a cheap, clay pot. 24 Evil people say things to make themselves look good, but they keep their evil plans a secret. 25 What they say sounds good, but don’t trust them. They are full of evil ideas. 26 They hide their evil plans with nice words, but in the end, everyone will see the evil they do.

27 Whoever digs a pit can fall into it. Whoever rolls a large stone can be crushed by it.

28 Liars hate the people they hurt, and false praise can hurt people.