Foolish Person Dey Repeat Im Foolishness
E almost be list of three kind people. The fool, wey person no fit honour, no fit hire, no fit cure; the lazy man, wey dey turn for im bed like door for im hinge; and the deceiver, wey go wound you then talk say na only joke e dey joke. Anybody wey dig pit go fall inside.
26 1Like snow for dry season and like rain for harvest time, honor no fit foolish person. 2Like small bird wey dey flap im wing or swallow wey dey fly quick-quick, curse wey person no deserve no dey land. 3Whip dey for horse, bridle dey for donkey, and cane dey for back of foolish people. 4No answer foolish person according to im foolishness, if not you yasef go be like am. 5Answer foolish person according to im foolishness, if not e go dey think say e wise for im own eye. 6Anybody wey send message through foolish person dey cut off im own leg and dey drink trouble. 7Like di leg of lame man wey just dey hang useless, na so proverb be for mouth of foolish people. 8Like as person dey tie stone for catapult, na so e be to give honor to foolish person. 9Like thorn wey dey hand of drunkard, na so proverb be for mouth of foolish people. 10Like person wey dey shoot arrow wey dey wound everybody, na so person wey dey hire foolish person or hire anybody wey just dey pass be. 11Like as dog dey go back to im vomit, na so foolish person dey repeat im foolishness. 12You see person wey dey think say e wise for im own eye? Hope dey pass for foolish person than for am.
13Lazy person dey talk say, “Lion dey for road! Lion dey for street!” 14Like as door dey turn for im hinge, na so lazy person dey turn for im bed. 15Lazy person dey put im hand inside plate; e too tire am to carry am back go im mouth. 16Lazy person dey think say e wise for im own eye pass seven people wey dey answer with sense.
17Like as person dey hold dog for ear, na so person wey just dey pass wey enter quarrel wey no be im own be.
18Like mad person wey dey shoot fire torch, arrow, and death, 19na so person wey dey deceive im neighbor be wey come talk say, “Na play I dey play!”
20If firewood no dey, fire go quench, and if gossip no dey, quarrel go cool down. 21Like as coal dey make ember hot and firewood dey make fire burn, na so person wey like quarrel dey start fight. 22Word of gossip person be like sweet food; e dey go down reach di inside-inside of belle.
23Like shiny coat wey dey cover clay pot, na so sweet mouth wey get evil heart be. 24Enemy dey use im mouth hide imsef, but for inside im heart e dey keep deceit. 25When e dey talk sweet-sweet, no believe am, because seven bad-bad things full im heart. 26Even though e dey use deceit hide im hate, dem go show im wickedness for front of everybody. 27Anybody wey dig pit go fall inside am, and stone go roll back on top di person wey roll am. 28Tongue wey dey lie dey hate people wey e dey crush, and mouth wey dey flatter dey bring destruction.
