Proverbs 26:3–12

³A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

and a rod for the backs of fools!

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

or you yourself will be like him.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly,

lest he become wise in his own eyes.

⁶Like cutting off one’s own feet or drinking violence

is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.

⁷Like lame legs hanging limp

is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

⁸Like binding a stone into a sling

is the giving of honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard

is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

¹⁰Like an archer who wounds at random

is he who hires a fool or passerby.

¹¹As a dog returns to its vomit,^a

so a fool repeats his folly.

¹²Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.