Proverbs 26
1 Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, honor does not befit a fool.
2 As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
Like a fluttering sparrow or darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
3 A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!
4 Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be like him.
5 Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.
6 He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
Like cutting off one’s own feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.
7 The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.
Like lame legs hanging limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
8 Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
Like binding a stone into a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.
9 Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.
Like a thorn that falls into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
10 Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or passerby.
11 Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.
As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
12 Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
The slacker says, “A lion is in the road! A fierce lion roams the public square!”
14 A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
As a door turns on its hinges, so the slacker turns on his bed.
15 The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
The slacker buries his hand in the dish; it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
16 The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
The slacker is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.
17 He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.
Like one who grabs a dog by the ears is a passerby who meddles in a quarrel not his own.
18 As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows,
19 So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”
20 Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
Without wood, a fire goes out; without gossip, a conflict ceases.
21 Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
22 The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being.
23 Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
Like glaze covering an earthen vessel are burning lips and a wicked heart.
24 With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart.
25 When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.
26 Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.
He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
28 A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.
