Proverbs 26
1 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honor [is] not fitting for a fool.
As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so, unbecoming to a dullard is honour.
2 As a bird by wandering, as a swallow by flying, So reviling without cause does not come.
As a sparrow in wandering, as a swallow in flying, so, a causeless curse, shall not alight.
3 A whip is for a horse, a bridle for a donkey, And a rod for the back of fools.
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the back of dullards.
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you are like to him—even you.
Do not answer a dullard, according to his folly, lest, even thou thyself, become like him;
5 Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he is wise in his own eyes.
Answer a dullard according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.
6 He is cutting off feet, he is drinking injury, Who is sending things by the hand of a fool.
One who cutteth off feet, one who drinketh down wrong, is he who sendeth a message by the hand of a dullard.
7 The two legs of the lame have been weak, And an allegory in the mouth of fools.
Useless are the legs of the lame, and a proverb, in the mouth of a dullard.
8 As one who is binding a stone in a sling, So [is] he who is giving honor to a fool.
Like tying a stone to a sling, so, is he that giveth honour, to a dullard.
9 A thorn has gone up into the hand of a drunkard, And an allegory in the mouth of fools.
A brier cometh into the hand of a drunken-man, a proverb into the mouth of dullards.
10 The Former of all [is] great, And He is rewarding a fool, And is rewarding transgressors.
[As] an archer who woundeth every thing, [so] one who hireth a dullard, and a drunkard crossing the sea.
11 As a dog has returned to its vomit, A fool is repeating his folly.
As, a dog, returneth onto his own vomit, a dullard, repeateth his folly.
12 You have seen a man wise in his own eyes, More hope of a fool than of him!
Thou hast seen a man wise in his own eye, —more hope of a dullard, than of him!
13 The slothful has said, “A lion [is] in the way, A lion [is] in the broad places.”
Saith the sluggard, A roaring lion in the road! A tearing lion in the midst of the broadways.
14 The door turns around on its hinge, And the slothful on his bed.
The door, turneth on its hinges, and, the sluggard, upon his bed.
15 The slothful has hid his hand in a dish, He is weary of bringing it back to his mouth.
The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish, he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16 Wiser [is] the slothful in his own eyes, Than seven [men] returning a reason.
Wiser is the sluggard in his own eyes, than, seven persons, who can answer with judgment.
17 Laying hold on the ears of a dog, [Is] a passer-by making himself wrath for strife [that is] not his own.
As he who layeth hold of the ears of a dog, is a passer-by, who giveth vent to his wrath over a quarrel, not his!
18 As [one] pretending to be feeble, Who is casting sparks, arrows, and death,
As a madman throwing firebrands, arrows and death,
19 So has a man deceived his neighbor, And has said, “Am I not playing?”
So, is a man who deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Was not, I, in sport?
20 Fire is going out without wood, And contention ceases without a tale-bearer,
Without wood a fire is quenched, and, where there is no tattler, strife is hushed.
21 Coal to burning coals, and wood to fire, And a man of contentions to kindle strife.
Black coal to burning blocks, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man, for kindling strife.
22 The words of a tale-bearer [are] as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down [to] the inner parts of the heart.
the words of a tattler, are dainties, they, therefore go down into the chambers of the inner man.
23 Silver of dross spread over potsherd, [Are] burning lips and an evil heart.
Dross silver overlaid upon earthenware, so are burning lips, with a mischievous heart:
24 A hater pretends by his lips, And he places deceit in his heart,
With his lips, the hater dissembleth, but, within himself, he layeth up deceit:
25 When his voice is gracious do not trust in him, For seven abominations [are] in his heart.
Though he make gracious his voice, do not trust him, for, seven abominations, are in his heart:
26 Hatred is covered by deceit, Its wickedness is revealed in an assembly.
Hatred may clothe itself with guile, his wickedness shall be disclosed in the convocation.
27 Whoever is digging a pit falls into it, And the roller of a stone, it turns to him.
He that diggeth a pit, thereinto, shall fall, and, he that rolleth a stone, upon himself, shall it return.
28 A lying tongue hates its bruised ones, And a flattering mouth works an overthrow!
A false tongue, hateth them who are crushed by it, and, a flattering mouth, worketh occasion of stumbling.
