Fool

Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!”

My lord should pay no attention to this scoundrel Nabal, for he lives up to his name: His name means Fool, and folly accompanies him. I, your servant, did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent.

Then Saul replied, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. I will never harm you again, because today you considered my life precious. I have played the fool and have committed a grave error!”

And the king sang this lament for Abner: “Should Abner die the death of a fool?

For resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.

I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed.

For the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good.

For the choirmaster. According to Mahalath. A Maskil of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their ways are vile. There is no one who does good.

Rise up, O God; defend Your cause! Remember how the fool mocks You all day long.

A senseless man does not know, and a fool does not understand,

The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of the fool invites destruction.

The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

The fool delights in shameful conduct, but a man of understanding has wisdom.

He who brings trouble on his house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.

Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly.

The proud speech of a fool brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.

A wise man fears and turns from evil, but a fool is careless and reckless.

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly.

A fool rejects his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction is prudent.

A discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!

A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.

It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.

Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?

A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.

A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.

Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.

A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in airing his opinions.

Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a fool whose lips are perverse.

Luxury is unseemly for a fool—how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!

It is honorable for a man to resolve a dispute, but any fool will quarrel.

Do not speak to a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.

Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, honor does not befit a fool.

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be like him.

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.

Like cutting off one’s own feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.

Like lame legs hanging limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

Like binding a stone into a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.

Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or passerby.

As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

A stone is heavy and sand is a burden, but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.

Though you grind a fool like grain with mortar and a pestle, yet his folly will not depart from him.

He who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.

If a wise man goes to court with a fool, there will be raving and laughing with no resolution.

A fool vents all his anger, but a wise man holds it back.

Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

…a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food,

The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both.

So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile.

For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!

For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!

The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.

As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words.

What advantage, then, has the wise man over the fool? What gain comes to the poor man who knows how to conduct himself before others?

For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.

Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.

Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?

A wise man’s heart inclines to the right, but the heart of a fool to the left.

Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he shows everyone that he is a fool.

Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he shows everyone that he is a fool.

The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.

Yet the fool multiplies words. No one knows what is coming, and who can tell him what will come after him?

The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.

No longer will a fool be called noble, nor a scoundrel be respected.

For a fool speaks foolishness; his mind plots iniquity. He practices ungodliness and speaks falsely about the LORD; he leaves the hungry empty and deprives the thirsty of drink.

Then I said, “They are only the poor; they have played the fool, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.

Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”

The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived—let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and hostility.

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’

Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.

You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.

I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.

To my shame I concede that we were too weak for that! Speaking as a fool, however, I can match what anyone else dares to boast about.

Even if I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me,

I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.