Proverbs 26
1 In the manner of snow in the summer, and rain at the harvest, so also is glory unfit for the foolish.
Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
2 Like a bird flying away to another place, and like a sparrow that hurries away freely, so also a curse uttered against someone without cause will pass away.
Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
3 A whip is for a horse, and a muzzle is for donkey, and a rod is for the back of the imprudent.
It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
4 Do not respond to the foolish according to his folly, lest you become like him.
If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
5 Respond to the foolish according to his folly, lest he imagine himself to be wise.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Whoever sends words by a foolish messenger has lame feet and drinks iniquity.
Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
7 In the manner of a lame man who has beautiful legs to no purpose, so also is a parable unfit for the mouth of the foolish.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Just like one who casts a stone into the pile of Mercury, so also is he who gives honor to the foolish.
Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
9 In the manner of a thorn, if it were to spring up from the hand of a drunkard, so also is a parable in the mouth of the foolish.
If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
10 Judgment determines cases. And whoever imposes silence on the foolish mitigates anger.
A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
11 Like a dog that returns to his vomit, so also is the imprudent who repeats his foolishness.
A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
12 Have you seen a man who seems wise to himself? There will be greater hope held for the unwise than for him.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
13 The lazy one says, “There is a lion along the way, and a lioness in the roads.”
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Just as a door turns upon its hinges, so also does the lazy one turn upon his bed.
A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
15 The lazy one conceals his hand under his arms, and it is a labor for him to move it to his mouth.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
16 The lazy one seems wiser to himself than seven men speaking judgments.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Just like one who takes hold of a dog by the ears, so also is he who crosses impatiently and meddles in the quarrels of another.
Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
18 Just as he is guilty who let loose the arrows and the lances unto death,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 so also is the man who harms his friend by deceitfulness. And when he has been apprehended, he says, “I did it jokingly.”
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 When the wood fails, the fire will be extinguished. And when the gossiper is taken away, conflicts will be quelled.
If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
21 Just as charcoals are to burning coals, and wood is to fire, so also is an angry man who stirs up quarrels.
[Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
22 The words of a whisperer seem simple, but they penetrate to the innermost parts of the self.
People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
23 In the same manner as an earthen vessel, if it were adorned with impure silver, conceited lips are allied with a wicked heart.
People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
24 An enemy is known by his lips, though it is from his heart that he draws out deceit.
Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
25 When he will have lowered his voice, do not believe him, for there are seven vices in his heart.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Whoever covers hatred with deceit, his malice shall be revealed in the assembly.
They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it. And whoever rolls a stone, it will roll back to him.
Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
28 A false tongue does not love truth. And a slippery mouth works ruin.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
