Proverbs 26
1 Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour beseemeth not a fool.
2 As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
As the sparrow for flitting about, as the swallow for flying, so a curse undeserved shall not come.
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 ass, and a rod for the back of fools.
4 Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto 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 be 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.
He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off [his own] feet, [and] drinketh damage.
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.
The legs of the lame hang loose; so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8 Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
As a bag of gems in a stoneheap, so is he that giveth honour 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.
[As] a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
A master roughly worketh every one: he both hireth the fool and hireth passers-by.
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 turneth back to its vomit, [so] a fool repeateth 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.
Hast thou seen a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope of a fool than of him.
13 The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
The sluggard saith, There is a fierce lion in the way; a lion is in the midst of the streets!
14 A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
[As] the door turneth upon its hinges, so the sluggard upon 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 sluggard burieth his hand in the dish: it wearieth him to bring it again 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.
A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven [men] that 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.
He that passing by vexeth himself with strife belonging not to him, is [like] one that taketh a dog by the ears.
18 As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
As a madman who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
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 a man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am I not in sport?
20 Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
Where no wood is, the fire goeth out; and where there is no talebearer, the contention ceaseth.
21 Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
[As] coals for hot coals, and wood for fire, so is a contentious man to inflame 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 talebearer are as dainty morsels, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
23 Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
Ardent lips, and a wicked heart, are [as] an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross.
24 With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, but he layeth up deceit within him:
25 When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
when his voice is gracious, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in 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 covered by dissimulation, his wickedness shall be made manifest in the congregation.
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.
Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein; and he that rolleth a stone, it shall return upon 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 hateth those that are injured by it, and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.
