< Proverbs 26 >

1 In the manner of snow in the summer, and rain at the harvest, so also is glory unfit for the foolish.
כַּשֶּׁלֶג ׀ בַּקַּיִץ וְכַמָּטָר בַּקָּצִיר כֵּן לֹא־נָאוֶה לִכְסִיל כָּבֽוֹד׃
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.
כַּצִּפּוֹר לָנוּד כַּדְּרוֹר לָעוּף כֵּן קִֽלְלַת חִנָּם לא לוֹ תָבֹֽא׃
3 A whip is for a horse, and a muzzle is for donkey, and a rod is for the back of the imprudent.
שׁוֹט לַסּוּס מֶתֶג לַחֲמוֹר וְשֵׁבֶט לְגֵו כְּסִילִֽים׃
4 Do not respond to the foolish according to his folly, lest you become like him.
אַל־תַּעַן כְּסִיל כְּאִוַּלְתּוֹ פֶּֽן־תִּשְׁוֶה־לּוֹ גַם־אָֽתָּה׃
5 Respond to the foolish according to his folly, lest he imagine himself to be wise.
עֲנֵה כְסִיל כְּאִוַּלְתּוֹ פֶּן־יִהְיֶה חָכָם בְּעֵינָֽיו׃
6 Whoever sends words by a foolish messenger has lame feet and drinks iniquity.
מְקַצֶּה רַגְלַיִם חָמָס שֹׁתֶה שֹׁלֵחַ דְּבָרִים בְּיַד־כְּסִֽיל׃
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.
דַּלְיוּ שֹׁקַיִם מִפִּסֵּחַ וּמָשָׁל בְּפִי כְסִילִֽים׃
8 Just like one who casts a stone into the pile of Mercury, so also is he who gives honor to the foolish.
כִּצְרוֹר אֶבֶן בְּמַרְגֵּמָה כֵּן־נוֹתֵן לִכְסִיל כָּבֽוֹד׃
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.
חוֹחַ עָלָה בְיַד־שִׁכּוֹר וּמָשָׁל בְּפִי כְסִילִֽים׃
10 Judgment determines cases. And whoever imposes silence on the foolish mitigates anger.
רַב מְחֽוֹלֵֽל־כֹּל וְשֹׂכֵר כְּסִיל וְשֹׂכֵר עֹבְרִֽים׃
11 Like a dog that returns to his vomit, so also is the imprudent who repeats his foolishness.
כְּכֶלֶב שָׁב עַל־קֵאוֹ כְּסִיל שׁוֹנֶה בְאִוַּלְתּֽוֹ׃
12 Have you seen a man who seems wise to himself? There will be greater hope held for the unwise than for him.
רָאִיתָ אִישׁ חָכָם בְּעֵינָיו תִּקְוָה לִכְסִיל מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
13 The lazy one says, “There is a lion along the way, and a lioness in the roads.”
אָמַר עָצֵל שַׁחַל בַּדָּרֶךְ אֲרִי בֵּין הָרְחֹבֽוֹת׃
14 Just as a door turns upon its hinges, so also does the lazy one turn upon his bed.
הַדֶּלֶת תִּסּוֹב עַל־צִירָהּ וְעָצֵל עַל־מִטָּתֽוֹ׃
15 The lazy one conceals his hand under his arms, and it is a labor for him to move it to his mouth.
טָמַן עָצֵל יָדוֹ בַּצַּלָּחַת נִלְאָה לַֽהֲשִׁיבָהּ אֶל־פִּֽיו׃
16 The lazy one seems wiser to himself than seven men speaking judgments.
חָכָם עָצֵל בְּעֵינָיו מִשִּׁבְעָה מְשִׁיבֵי טָֽעַם׃
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.
מַחֲזִיק בְּאָזְנֵי־כָלֶב עֹבֵר מִתְעַבֵּר עַל־רִיב לֹּֽא־לֽוֹ׃
18 Just as he is guilty who let loose the arrows and the lances unto death,
כְּֽמִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיֹּרֶה זִקִּים חִצִּים וָמָֽוֶת׃
19 so also is the man who harms his friend by deceitfulness. And when he has been apprehended, he says, “I did it jokingly.”
כֵּֽן־אִישׁ רִמָּה אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ וְאָמַר הֲ‍ֽלֹא־מְשַׂחֵק אָֽנִי׃
20 When the wood fails, the fire will be extinguished. And when the gossiper is taken away, conflicts will be quelled.
בְּאֶפֶס עֵצִים תִּכְבֶּה־אֵשׁ וּבְאֵין נִרְגָּן יִשְׁתֹּק מָדֽוֹן׃
21 Just as charcoals are to burning coals, and wood is to fire, so also is an angry man who stirs up quarrels.
פֶּחָם לְגֶחָלִים וְעֵצִים לְאֵשׁ וְאִישׁ מדונים מִדְיָנִים לְחַרְחַר־רִֽיב׃
22 The words of a whisperer seem simple, but they penetrate to the innermost parts of the self.
דִּבְרֵי נִרְגָּן כְּמִֽתְלַהֲמִים וְהֵם יָרְדוּ חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃
23 In the same manner as an earthen vessel, if it were adorned with impure silver, conceited lips are allied with a wicked heart.
כֶּסֶף סִיגִים מְצֻפֶּה עַל־חָרֶשׂ שְׂפָתַיִם דֹּלְקִים וְלֶב־רָֽע׃
24 An enemy is known by his lips, though it is from his heart that he draws out deceit.
בשפתו בִּשְׂפָתָיו יִנָּכֵר שׂוֹנֵא וּבְקִרְבּוֹ יָשִׁית מִרְמָֽה׃
25 When he will have lowered his voice, do not believe him, for there are seven vices in his heart.
כִּֽי־יְחַנֵּן קוֹלוֹ אַל־תַּֽאֲמֶן־בּוֹ כִּי שֶׁבַע תּוֹעֵבוֹת בְּלִבּֽוֹ׃
26 Whoever covers hatred with deceit, his malice shall be revealed in the assembly.
תִּכַּסֶּה שִׂנְאָה בְּמַשָּׁאוֹן תִּגָּלֶה רָעָתוֹ בְקָהָֽל׃
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it. And whoever rolls a stone, it will roll back to him.
כֹּֽרֶה־שַּׁחַת בָּהּ יִפֹּל וְגֹלֵל אֶבֶן אֵלָיו תָּשֽׁוּב׃
28 A false tongue does not love truth. And a slippery mouth works ruin.
לְֽשׁוֹן־שֶׁקֶר יִשְׂנָא דַכָּיו וּפֶה חָלָק יַעֲשֶׂה מִדְחֶֽה׃

< Proverbs 26 >