Proverbs 26:2-15

²As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.

³A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.

⁴Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.

⁵Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.

⁶He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.

⁷The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.

⁸Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.

⁹Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.

¹⁰Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.

¹¹Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.

¹²Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.

¹³The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

¹⁴A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.

¹⁵The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.