Proverbs 26
1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so a fool does not deserve honor.
ὥσπερ δρόσος ἐν ἀμήτῳ καὶ ὥσπερ ὑετὸς ἐν θέρει οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν ἄφρονι τιμή
2 As the sparrow flitters and the swallow darts when they fly, so an undeserved curse does not alight.
ὥσπερ ὄρνεα πέταται καὶ στρουθοί οὕτως ἀρὰ ματαία οὐκ ἐπελεύσεται οὐδενί
3 A whip is for the horse, a bridle is for the donkey and a rod is for the back of fools.
ὥσπερ μάστιξ ἵππῳ καὶ κέντρον ὄνῳ οὕτως ῥάβδος ἔθνει παρανόμῳ
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will become like him.
μὴ ἀποκρίνου ἄφρονι πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου ἀφροσύνην ἵνα μὴ ὅμοιος γένῃ αὐτῷ
5 Answer a fool and join in on his folly, so he will not become wise in his own eyes.
ἀλλὰ ἀποκρίνου ἄφρονι κατὰ τὴν ἀφροσύνην αὐτοῦ ἵνα μὴ φαίνηται σοφὸς παρ’ ἑαυτῷ
6 Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
ἐκ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ποδῶν ὄνειδος πίεται ὁ ἀποστείλας δῑ ἀγγέλου ἄφρονος λόγον
7 Like the legs of a paralytic which hang down is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
ἀφελοῦ πορείαν σκελῶν καὶ παροιμίαν ἐκ στόματος ἀφρόνων
8 Like tying a stone in a sling is giving honor to a fool.
ὃς ἀποδεσμεύει λίθον ἐν σφενδόνῃ ὅμοιός ἐστιν τῷ διδόντι ἄφρονι δόξαν
9 Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
ἄκανθαι φύονται ἐν χειρὶ τοῦ μεθύσου δουλεία δὲ ἐν χειρὶ τῶν ἀφρόνων
10 Like an archer who wounds all those around him is one who hires a fool or hires anyone who passes by.
πολλὰ χειμάζεται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἀφρόνων συντρίβεται γὰρ ἡ ἔκστασις αὐτῶν
11 As a dog returns to his own vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.
ὥσπερ κύων ὅταν ἐπέλθῃ ἐπὶ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἔμετον καὶ μισητὸς γένηται οὕτως ἄφρων τῇ ἑαυτοῦ κακίᾳ ἀναστρέψας ἐπὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίαν ἔστιν αἰσχύνη ἐπάγουσα ἁμαρτίαν καὶ ἔστιν αἰσχύνη δόξα καὶ χάρις
12 Do you see someone who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
εἶδον ἄνδρα δόξαντα παρ’ ἑαυτῷ σοφὸν εἶναι ἐλπίδα μέντοι ἔσχεν μᾶλλον ἄφρων αὐτοῦ
13 The lazy person says, “There is a lion on the road! There is a lion between the open places!”
λέγει ὀκνηρὸς ἀποστελλόμενος εἰς ὁδόν λέων ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς
14 As the door turns on its hinges, so is the lazy person upon his bed.
ὥσπερ θύρα στρέφεται ἐπὶ τοῦ στρόφιγγος οὕτως ὀκνηρὸς ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης αὐτοῦ
15 The lazy person puts his hand into the dish and yet he has no strength to lift it up to his mouth.
κρύψας ὀκνηρὸς τὴν χεῖρα ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ αὐτοῦ οὐ δυνήσεται ἐπενεγκεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ στόμα
16 The lazy person is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who respond with good judgment.
σοφώτερος ἑαυτῷ ὀκνηρὸς φαίνεται τοῦ ἐν πλησμονῇ ἀποκομίζοντος ἀγγελίαν
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.
ὥσπερ ὁ κρατῶν κέρκου κυνός οὕτως ὁ προεστὼς ἀλλοτρίας κρίσεως
18 Like a madman who shoots burning arrows,
ὥσπερ οἱ ἰώμενοι προβάλλουσιν λόγους εἰς ἀνθρώπους ὁ δὲ ἀπαντήσας τῷ λόγῳ πρῶτος ὑποσκελισθήσεται
19 is the one who deceives his neighbor and says, “Was I not telling a joke?”
οὕτως πάντες οἱ ἐνεδρεύοντες τοὺς ἑαυτῶν φίλους ὅταν δὲ φωραθῶσιν λέγουσιν ὅτι παίζων ἔπραξα
20 For lack of wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no gossiper quarreling ceases.
ἐν πολλοῖς ξύλοις θάλλει πῦρ ὅπου δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν δίθυμος ἡσυχάζει μάχη
21 As charcoal is to burning coals and wood is to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
ἐσχάρα ἄνθραξιν καὶ ξύλα πυρί ἀνὴρ δὲ λοίδορος εἰς ταραχὴν μάχης
22 The words of a gossip are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.
λόγοι κερκώπων μαλακοί οὗτοι δὲ τύπτουσιν εἰς ταμίεια σπλάγχνων
23 Like the glaze overlaying an earthen vessel so are burning lips and an evil heart.
ἀργύριον διδόμενον μετὰ δόλου ὥσπερ ὄστρακον ἡγητέον χείλη λεῖα καρδίαν καλύπτει λυπηράν
24 One who hates others disguises his feelings with his lips and he lays up deceit within himself.
χείλεσιν πάντα ἐπινεύει ἀποκλαιόμενος ἐχθρός ἐν δὲ τῇ καρδίᾳ τεκταίνεται δόλους
25 He will speak graciously, but do not believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.
ἐάν σου δέηται ὁ ἐχθρὸς μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ μὴ πεισθῇς ἑπτὰ γάρ εἰσιν πονηρίαι ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ
26 Though his hatred is covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
ὁ κρύπτων ἔχθραν συνίστησιν δόλον ἐκκαλύπτει δὲ τὰς ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίας εὔγνωστος ἐν συνεδρίοις
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it and the stone will roll back on the one who pushed it.
ὁ ὀρύσσων βόθρον τῷ πλησίον ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς αὐτόν ὁ δὲ κυλίων λίθον ἐφ’ ἑαυτὸν κυλίει
28 A lying tongue hates the people it crushes and a flattering mouth brings about ruin.
γλῶσσα ψευδὴς μισεῖ ἀλήθειαν στόμα δὲ ἄστεγον ποιεῖ ἀκαταστασίας
