Proverbs 26
1 Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
| כשלג בקיץ--וכמטר בקציר כן לא-נאוה לכסיל כבוד |
2 As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
| כצפור לנוד כדרור לעוף-- כן קללת חנם לא (לו) תבא |
3 A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
| שוט לסוס מתג לחמור ושבט לגו כסילים |
4 Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
| אל-תען כסיל כאולתו פן-תשוה-לו גם-אתה |
5 Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
| ענה כסיל כאולתו פן-יהיה חכם בעיניו |
6 He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
| מקצה רגלים חמס שתה-- שלח דברים ביד-כסיל |
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.
| דליו שקים מפסח ומשל בפי כסילים |
8 Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
| כצרור אבן במרגמה-- כן-נותן לכסיל כבוד |
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.
| חוח עלה ביד-שכור ומשל בפי כסילים |
10 Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
| רב מחולל-כל ושכר כסיל ושכר עברים |
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.
| ככלב שב על-קאו-- כסיל שונה באולתו |
12 Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
| ראית--איש חכם בעיניו תקוה לכסיל ממנו |
13 The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
| אמר עצל שחל בדרך ארי בין הרחבות |
14 A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
| הדלת תסוב על-צירה ועצל על-מטתו |
15 The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
| טמן עצל ידו בצלחת נלאה להשיבה אל-פיו |
16 The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
| חכם עצל בעיניו-- משבעה משיבי טעם |
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.
| מחזיק באזני-כלב-- עבר מתעבר על-ריב לא-לו |
18 As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
| כמתלהלה הירה זקים-- חצים ומות |
19 So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
| כן-איש רמה את-רעהו ואמר הלא-משחק אני |
20 Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
| באפס עצים תכבה-אש ובאין נרגן ישתק מדון |
21 Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
| פחם לגחלים ועצים לאש ואיש מדונים (מדינים) לחרחר-ריב |
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.
| דברי נרגן כמתלהמים והם ירדו חדרי-בטן |
23 Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
| כסף סיגים מצפה על-חרש-- שפתים דלקים ולב-רע |
24 With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
| בשפתו ינכר שונא ובקרבו ישית מרמה |
25 When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
| כי-יחנן קולו אל-תאמן-בו כי שבע תועבות בלבו |
26 Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
| תכסה שנאה במשאון תגלה רעתו בקהל |
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.
| כרה-שחת בה יפול וגולל אבן אליו תשוב |
28 A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
| לשון-שקר ישנא דכיו ופה חלק יעשה מדחה |
