Proverbs 26
1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so a fool does not deserve honor.
Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
2 As the sparrow flitters and the swallow darts when they fly, so an undeserved curse does not alight.
As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
3 A whip is for the horse, a bridle is for the donkey and a rod is for the back of fools.
A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will become like him.
Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
5 Answer a fool and join in on his folly, so he will not become wise in his own eyes.
Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
6 Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
7 Like the legs of a paralytic which hang down is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.
8 Like tying a stone in a sling is giving honor to a fool.
Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
9 Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
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.
10 Like an archer who wounds all those around him is one who hires a fool or hires anyone who passes by.
Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
11 As a dog returns to his own vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.
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.
12 Do you see someone who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
13 The lazy person says, “There is a lion on the road! There is a lion between the open places!”
The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
14 As the door turns on its hinges, so is the lazy person upon his bed.
A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
15 The lazy person puts his hand into the dish and yet he has no strength to lift it up to his mouth.
The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
16 The lazy person is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who respond with good judgment.
The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
17 Like one who takes hold of the ears of a dog, is a passerby who becomes angry at a dispute that is not his own.
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.
18 Like a madman who shoots burning arrows,
As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
19 is the one who deceives his neighbor and says, “Was I not telling a joke?”
So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
20 For lack of wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no gossiper quarreling ceases.
Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
21 As charcoal is to burning coals and wood is to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
22 The words of a gossip are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.
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.
23 Like the glaze overlaying an earthen vessel so are burning lips and an evil heart.
Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
24 One who hates others disguises his feelings with his lips and he lays up deceit within himself.
With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
25 He will speak graciously, but do not believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.
When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
26 Though his hatred is covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it and the stone will roll back on the one who pushed it.
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.
28 A lying tongue hates the people it crushes and a flattering mouth brings about ruin.
A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
