Ordsprogene 26
1 Som Sne om Somren og Regn Høsten så lidt hører Ære sig til for en Tåbe.
Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
2 Som en Spurv i Fart, som en Svale i Flugt så rammer ej Banden mod sagesløs Mand.
Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
3 Svøbe for Hest, Bidsel for Æsel og Ris for Tåbers Ryg.
It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
4 Svar ej Tåben efter hans Dårskab, at ikke du selv skal blive som han.
If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
5 Svar Tåben efter hans Dårskab, at han ikke skal tykkes sig viis.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Den afhugger Fødderne og inddrikker Vold, som sender Bud ved en Tåbe.
Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
7 Slappe som den lammes Ben er Ordsprog i Tåbers Mund.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Som en, der binder Stenen fast i Slyngen, er den, der hædrer en Tåbe.
Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
9 Som en Tornekæp, der falder den drukne i Hænde, er Ordsprog i Tåbers Mund.
If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
10 Som en Skytte, der sårer enhver, som kommer, er den, der lejer en Tåbe og en drukken.
A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
11 Som en Hund, der vender sig om til sit Spy, er en Tåbe, der gentager Dårskab.
A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
12 Ser du en Mand, der tykkes sig viis, for en Tåbe er der mere Håb end for ham.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
13 Den lade siger: "Et Rovdyr på Vejen, en Løve ude på Torvene!"
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Døren drejer sig på sit Hængsel, den lade på sit Leje.
A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
15 Den lade rækker til Fadet, men gider ikke føre Hånden til Munden.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
16 Den lade tykkes sig større Vismand end syv, der har kloge Svar.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Den griber en Hund i Øret, som blander sig i uvedkommende Strid.
Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
18 Som en vanvittig Mand, der udslynger Gløder, Pile og Død,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 er den, der sviger sin Næste og siger: "Jeg spøger jo kun."
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Er der intet Brænde, går Ilden ud, er der ingen Bagtaler, stilles Trætte.
If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
21 Trækul til Gløder og Brænde til Ild og trættekær Mand til at optænde Kiv.
[Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
22 Bagtalerens Ord er som Lækkerbidskener, de synker dybt i Legemets Kamre.
People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
23 Som Sølvovertræk på et Lerkar er ondsindet Hjerte bag glatte Læber.
People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
24 Avindsmand hykler med Læben, i sit Indre huser han Svig;
Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
25 gør han Røsten venlig, tro ham dog ikke, thi i hans Hjerte er syvfold Gru.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Den, der dølger sit Had med Svig, hans Ondskab kommer frem i Folkets Forsamling.
They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
27 I Graven, man graver, falder man selv, af Stenen, man vælter, rammes man selv.
Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
28 Løgnetunge giver mange Hug, hyklersk Mund volder Fald.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
