Proverbs 26
1 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honour [is] not comely for a fool.
Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so a fool does not deserve honor.
2 As a bird by wandering, as a swallow by flying, So reviling without cause doth not come.
As the sparrow flitters and the swallow darts when they fly, so an undeserved curse does not alight.
3 A whip is for a horse, a bridle for an ass, And a rod for the back of fools.
A whip is for the horse, a bridle is for the donkey and a rod is for the back of fools.
4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou be like to him — even thou.
Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will become like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.
Answer a fool and join in on his folly, so he will not 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.
Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
7 Weak have been the two legs of the lame, And a parable in the mouth of fools.
Like the legs of a paralytic which hang down is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8 As one who is binding a stone in a sling, So [is] he who is giving honour to a fool.
Like tying a stone in a sling is giving honor to a fool.
9 A thorn hath gone up into the hand of a drunkard, And a parable in the mouth of fools.
Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 Great [is] the Former of all, And He is rewarding a fool, And is rewarding transgressors.
Like an archer who wounds all those around him is one who hires a fool or hires anyone who passes by.
11 As a dog hath returned to its vomit, A fool is repeating his folly.
As a dog returns to his own vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.
12 Thou hast seen a man wise in his own eyes, More hope of a fool than of him!
Do you see someone who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 The slothful hath said, 'A lion [is] in the way, A lion [is] in the broad places.'
The lazy person says, “There is a lion on the road! There is a lion between the open places!”
14 The door turneth round on its hinge, And the slothful on his bed.
As the door turns on its hinges, so is the lazy person upon his bed.
15 The slothful hath hid his hand in a dish, He is weary of bringing it back to his mouth.
The lazy person puts his hand into the dish and yet he has no strength to lift it up to his mouth.
16 Wiser [is] the slothful in his own eyes, Than seven [men] returning a reason.
The lazy person is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who respond with good judgment.
17 Laying hold on the ears of a dog, [Is] a passer-by making himself wrath for strife not his own.
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.
18 As [one] pretending to be feeble, Who is casting sparks, arrows, and death,
Like a madman who shoots burning arrows,
19 So hath a man deceived his neighbour, And hath said, 'Am not I playing?'
is the one who deceives his neighbor and says, “Was I not telling a joke?”
20 Without wood is fire going out, And without a tale-bearer, contention ceaseth,
For lack of wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no gossiper quarreling ceases.
21 Coal to burning coals, and wood to fire, And a man of contentions to kindle strife.
As charcoal is to burning coals and wood is to fire, so is a quarrelsome person 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 gossip are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.
23 Silver of dross spread over potsherd, [Are] burning lips and an evil heart.
Like the glaze overlaying an earthen vessel so are burning lips and an evil heart.
24 By his lips doth a hater dissemble, And in his heart he placeth deceit,
One who hates others disguises his feelings with his lips and he lays up deceit within himself.
25 When his voice is gracious trust not in him, For seven abominations [are] in his heart.
He will speak graciously, but do not believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 Hatred is covered by deceit, Revealed is its wickedness in an assembly.
Though his hatred is covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And the roller of a stone, to him it turneth.
Whoever digs a pit will fall into it and the stone will roll back on the one who pushed it.
28 A lying tongue hateth its bruised ones, And a flattering mouth worketh an overthrow!
A lying tongue hates the people it crushes and a flattering mouth brings about ruin.
