Proverbs 26:17-28

It’s better to grab a stray dog by its ears than to meddle in a quarrel that’s none of your business. The one who is caught lying to his friend, who says, “I didn’t mean it, I was only joking,” can be compared to a madman randomly shooting off deadly weapons. It takes fuel to have a fire— a fire dies down when you run out of fuel. So quarrels disappear when the gossip ends. Add fuel to the fire and the blaze goes on. So add an argumentative man to the mix, and you’ll keep strife alive. Gossip is so delicious, and how we love to swallow it! For slander is easily absorbed into our innermost being. Smooth talk can hide a corrupt heart just like a pretty glaze covers a cheap clay pot. Kind words can be a cover to conceal hatred of others, for hypocrisy loves to hide behind flattery. So don’t be drawn in by the hypocrite, for his gracious speech is a charade, nothing but a masquerade covering his hatred and evil on parade. Don’t worry—he can’t keep the mask on for long. One day his hypocrisy will be exposed before all the world. Go ahead, set a trap for others— and then watch as it snaps back on you! Start a landslide and you’ll be the one who gets crushed. Hatred is the root of slander and insecurity the root of flattery.