Proverbs 26
1 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honour [is] not comely for a fool.
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 As a bird by wandering, as a swallow by flying, So reviling without cause doth not come.
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, a bridle for an ass, And a rod for the back of fools.
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 Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou be like to him — even thou.
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 Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 He is cutting off feet, he is drinking injury, Who is sending things by the hand of a fool.
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 Weak have been the two legs of the lame, And a parable in the mouth of fools.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 As one who is binding a stone in a sling, So [is] he who is giving honour to a fool.
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 A thorn hath gone up into the hand of a drunkard, And a parable in the mouth of fools.
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 Great [is] the Former of all, And He is rewarding a fool, And is rewarding transgressors.
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 As a dog hath returned to its vomit, A fool is repeating his folly.
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 Thou hast seen a man wise in his own eyes, More hope of a fool than of 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 slothful hath said, 'A lion [is] in the way, A lion [is] in the broad places.'
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 The door turneth round on its hinge, And the slothful on 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 slothful hath hid his hand in a dish, He is weary of bringing it back 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 Wiser [is] the slothful in his own eyes, Than seven [men] returning a reason.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Laying hold on the ears of a dog, [Is] a passer-by making himself wrath for strife not his own.
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 As [one] pretending to be feeble, Who is casting sparks, arrows, and death,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 So hath a man deceived his neighbour, And hath said, 'Am not I playing?'
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Without wood is fire going out, And without a tale-bearer, contention ceaseth,
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 Coal to burning coals, and wood to fire, And a man of contentions to kindle strife.
[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 tale-bearer [are] as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down [to] the inner parts of the heart.
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 Silver of dross spread over potsherd, [Are] burning lips and an evil 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 By his lips doth a hater dissemble, And in his heart he placeth 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 his voice is gracious trust not in him, For seven abominations [are] in his heart.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Hatred is covered by deceit, Revealed is its wickedness in an 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 Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And the roller of a stone, to him it turneth.
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 lying tongue hateth its bruised ones, And a flattering mouth worketh an overthrow!
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
