Proverbs 26:1-12. Reading
Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself (vs 4, NIV).
As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly (vs 11, NIV).
Proverbs 26:1-12
[1]Praise for a fool is out of place, like snow in summer or rain at harvest time.
[2]Curses cannot hurt you unless you deserve them. They are like birds that fly by and never settle.
[3]You have to whip a horse, you have to bridle a donkey, and you have to beat a fool.
[4]If you answer a silly question, you are just as silly as the person who asked it.
[5]Give a silly answer to a silly question, and the one who asked it will realize that he’s not as clever as he thinks.
[6]If you let a fool deliver a message, you might as well cut off your own feet; you are asking for trouble.
[7]A fool can use a proverb about as well as crippled people can use their legs.
[8]Praising someone who is stupid makes as much sense as tying a stone in a sling.
[9]A fool quoting a wise saying reminds you of a drunk trying to pick a thorn out of his hand.
[10]An employer who hires any fool that comes along is only hurting everybody concerned.
[11]A fool doing some stupid thing a second time is like a dog going back to its vomit.
[12]The most stupid fool is better off than someone who thinks he is wise when he is not.