26 Like snow in the summer and rain in the time of harvest,
    so honor is never fitting for a fool.
² Like a bird that flits and flutters or a swallow in mid-flight,
    so a curse that lacks cause will never come to light.
³ A whip is for the horse, a bridle is for the donkey,
    and a rod is for the fool’s back.

⁴ Never answer a fool on his own foolish terms,
    or you will become like him;
⁵ Rather, answer a fool on his own foolish terms,
    or he will become wise in his own eyes.

⁶ Like someone who cuts off his feet or drinks to his ruin,
    so is the one who uses a fool to pass on his message.
⁷ As lame legs are useless, dangling on the crippled,
    so is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
⁸ Like one who ties a stone in his slingshot,
    so is one who honors a fool.
⁹ Like a thorn in the hand of a drunkard,
    so is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
¹⁰ Like an archer who shoots at random and injures everyone,
    so is a person who hires a fool or someone off the street.^[a]
11 Like a dog who goes back to his own vomit,^[b]
    so is a fool who always returns to his foolishness.

¹² Have you seen a person who is wise in his own sight?
    Know that there is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹¹ A fool does not think before he unleashes his temper,
    but a wise man holds back and remains quiet.

³² If you have been foolish enough to insinuate yourself in some high position
    or if you have concocted some sort of evil plan,
    clamp your hand tightly over your mouth;