Proverbs 26
1 Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, honor does not befit a fool.
ὥσπερ δρόσος ἐν ἀμήτῳ καὶ ὥσπερ ὑετὸς ἐν θέρει οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν ἄφρονι τιμή
2 Like a fluttering sparrow or darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
ὥσπερ ὄρνεα πέταται καὶ στρουθοί οὕτως ἀρὰ ματαία οὐκ ἐπελεύσεται οὐδενί
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!
ὥσπερ μάστιξ ἵππῳ καὶ κέντρον ὄνῳ οὕτως ῥάβδος ἔθνει παρανόμῳ
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be like him.
μὴ ἀποκρίνου ἄφρονι πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου ἀφροσύνην ἵνα μὴ ὅμοιος γένῃ αὐτῷ
5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.
ἀλλὰ ἀποκρίνου ἄφρονι κατὰ τὴν ἀφροσύνην αὐτοῦ ἵνα μὴ φαίνηται σοφὸς παρ’ ἑαυτῷ
6 Like cutting off one’s own feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.
ἐκ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ποδῶν ὄνειδος πίεται ὁ ἀποστείλας δῑ ἀγγέλου ἄφρονος λόγον
7 Like lame legs hanging limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
ἀφελοῦ πορείαν σκελῶν καὶ παροιμίαν ἐκ στόματος ἀφρόνων
8 Like binding a stone into a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.
ὃς ἀποδεσμεύει λίθον ἐν σφενδόνῃ ὅμοιός ἐστιν τῷ διδόντι ἄφρονι δόξαν
9 Like a thorn that falls into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
ἄκανθαι φύονται ἐν χειρὶ τοῦ μεθύσου δουλεία δὲ ἐν χειρὶ τῶν ἀφρόνων
10 Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or passerby.
πολλὰ χειμάζεται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἀφρόνων συντρίβεται γὰρ ἡ ἔκστασις αὐτῶν
11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
ὥσπερ κύων ὅταν ἐπέλθῃ ἐπὶ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἔμετον καὶ μισητὸς γένηται οὕτως ἄφρων τῇ ἑαυτοῦ κακίᾳ ἀναστρέψας ἐπὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίαν ἔστιν αἰσχύνη ἐπάγουσα ἁμαρτίαν καὶ ἔστιν αἰσχύνη δόξα καὶ χάρις
12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
εἶδον ἄνδρα δόξαντα παρ’ ἑαυτῷ σοφὸν εἶναι ἐλπίδα μέντοι ἔσχεν μᾶλλον ἄφρων αὐτοῦ
13 The slacker says, “A lion is in the road! A fierce lion roams the public square!”
λέγει ὀκνηρὸς ἀποστελλόμενος εἰς ὁδόν λέων ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς
14 As a door turns on its hinges, so the slacker turns on his bed.
ὥσπερ θύρα στρέφεται ἐπὶ τοῦ στρόφιγγος οὕτως ὀκνηρὸς ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης αὐτοῦ
15 The slacker buries his hand in the dish; it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
κρύψας ὀκνηρὸς τὴν χεῖρα ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ αὐτοῦ οὐ δυνήσεται ἐπενεγκεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ στόμα
16 The slacker is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.
σοφώτερος ἑαυτῷ ὀκνηρὸς φαίνεται τοῦ ἐν πλησμονῇ ἀποκομίζοντος ἀγγελίαν
17 Like one who grabs a dog by the ears is a passerby who meddles in a quarrel not his own.
ὥσπερ ὁ κρατῶν κέρκου κυνός οὕτως ὁ προεστὼς ἀλλοτρίας κρίσεως
18 Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows,
ὥσπερ οἱ ἰώμενοι προβάλλουσιν λόγους εἰς ἀνθρώπους ὁ δὲ ἀπαντήσας τῷ λόγῳ πρῶτος ὑποσκελισθήσεται
19 so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”
οὕτως πάντες οἱ ἐνεδρεύοντες τοὺς ἑαυτῶν φίλους ὅταν δὲ φωραθῶσιν λέγουσιν ὅτι παίζων ἔπραξα
20 Without wood, a fire goes out; without gossip, a conflict ceases.
ἐν πολλοῖς ξύλοις θάλλει πῦρ ὅπου δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν δίθυμος ἡσυχάζει μάχη
21 Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
ἐσχάρα ἄνθραξιν καὶ ξύλα πυρί ἀνὴρ δὲ λοίδορος εἰς ταραχὴν μάχης
22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being.
λόγοι κερκώπων μαλακοί οὗτοι δὲ τύπτουσιν εἰς ταμίεια σπλάγχνων
23 Like glaze covering an earthen vessel are burning lips and a wicked heart.
ἀργύριον διδόμενον μετὰ δόλου ὥσπερ ὄστρακον ἡγητέον χείλη λεῖα καρδίαν καλύπτει λυπηράν
24 A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart.
χείλεσιν πάντα ἐπινεύει ἀποκλαιόμενος ἐχθρός ἐν δὲ τῇ καρδίᾳ τεκταίνεται δόλους
25 When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.
ἐάν σου δέηται ὁ ἐχθρὸς μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ μὴ πεισθῇς ἑπτὰ γάρ εἰσιν πονηρίαι ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ
26 Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
ὁ κρύπτων ἔχθραν συνίστησιν δόλον ἐκκαλύπτει δὲ τὰς ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίας εὔγνωστος ἐν συνεδρίοις
27 He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
ὁ ὀρύσσων βόθρον τῷ πλησίον ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς αὐτόν ὁ δὲ κυλίων λίθον ἐφ’ ἑαυτὸν κυλίει
28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.
γλῶσσα ψευδὴς μισεῖ ἀλήθειαν στόμα δὲ ἄστεγον ποιεῖ ἀκαταστασίας
