Proverbs 26
1 Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
誉が愚かな者にふさわしくないのは、夏に雪が降り、刈入れの時に雨が降るようなものだ。
2 As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
いわれのないのろいは、飛びまわるすずめや、飛びかけるつばめのようなもので、止まらない。
3 A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
馬のためにはむちがあり、ろばのためにはくつわがあり、愚かな者の背のためにはつえがある。
4 Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
愚かな者にその愚かさにしたがって答をするな、自分も彼と同じようにならないためだ。
5 Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
愚かな者にその愚かさにしたがって答をせよ、彼が自分の目に自らを知恵ある者と見ないためだ。
6 He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
愚かな者に託して事を言い送る者は、自分の足を切り去り、身に害をうける。
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.
あしなえの足は用がない、愚かな者の口には箴言もそれにひとしい。
8 Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
誉を愚かな者に与えるのは、石を石投げにつなぐようだ。
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.
愚かな者の口に箴言があるのは、酔った者が、とげのあるつえを手で振り上げるようだ。
10 Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
通りがかりの愚か者や、酔った者を雇う者は、すべての人を傷つける射手のようだ。
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.
犬が帰って来てその吐いた物を食べるように、愚かな者はその愚かさをくり返す。
12 Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
自分の目に自らを知恵ある者とする人を、あなたは見るか、彼よりもかえって愚かな人に望みがある。
13 The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
なまけ者は、「道にししがいる、ちまたにししがいる」という。
14 A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
戸がちょうつがいによって回るように、なまけ者はその寝床で寝返りをする。
15 The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
なまけ者は手を皿に入れても、それを口に持ってゆくことをいとう。
16 The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
なまけ者は自分の目に、良く答えることのできる七人の者よりも、自らを知恵ありとする。
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.
自分に関係のない争いにたずさわる者は、通りすぎる犬の耳をとらえる者のようだ。
18 As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
19 So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
隣り人を欺いて、「わたしはただ戯れにした」という者は、燃え木または矢、または死を、投げつける気違いのようだ。
20 Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
たきぎがなければ火は消え、人のよしあしを言う者がなければ争いはやむ。
21 Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
おき火に炭をつぎ、火にたきぎをくべるように、争いを好む人は争いの火をおこす。
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.
人のよしあしをいう者の言葉はおいしい食物のようで、腹の奥にしみこむ。
23 Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
くちびるはなめらかであっても、心の悪いのは上ぐすりをかけた土の器のようだ。
24 With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
憎む者はくちびるをもって自ら飾るけれども、心のうちには偽りをいだく。
25 When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
彼が声をやわらげて語っても、信じてはならない。その心に七つの憎むべきものがあるからだ。
26 Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
たとい偽りをもってその憎しみをかくしても、彼の悪は会衆の中に現れる。
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.
穴を掘る者は自らその中に陥る、石をまろばしあげる者の上に、その石はまろびかえる。
28 A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
偽りの舌は自分が傷つけた者を憎み、へつらう口は滅びをきたらせる。
