מִשְׁלֵי 26

1 כַּשֶּׁלֶג ׀ בַּקַּיִץ וְכַמָּטָר בַּקָּצִיר כֵּן לֹֽא־נָאוֶה לִכְסִיל כָּבֽוֹד׃

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 כַּצִּפּוֹר לָנוּד כַּדְּרוֹר לָעוּף כֵּן קִֽלְלַת חִנָּם (לא) [לוֹ] תָבֹֽא׃

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 שׁוֹט לַסּוּס מֶתֶג לַחֲמוֹר וְשֵׁבֶט לְגֵו כְּסִילִֽים׃

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 אַל־תַּעַן כְּסִיל כְּאִוַּלְתּוֹ פֶּֽן־תִּשְׁוֶה־לּוֹ גַם־אָֽתָּה׃

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 עֲנֵה כְסִיל כְּאִוַּלְתּוֹ פֶּן־יִהְיֶה חָכָם בְּעֵינָֽיו׃

If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).

6 מְקַצֶּה רַגְלַיִם חָמָס שֹׁתֶה שֹׁלֵחַ דְּבָרִים בְּיַד־כְּסִֽיל׃

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 דַּלְיוּ שֹׁקַיִם מִפִּסֵּחַ וּמָשָׁל בְּפִי כְסִילִֽים׃

A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).

8 כִּצְרוֹר אֶבֶן בְּמַרְגֵּמָה כֵּן־נוֹתֵן לִכְסִיל כָּבֽוֹד׃

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 חוֹחַ עָלָה בְיַד־שִׁכּוֹר וּמָשָׁל בְּפִי כְסִילִֽים׃

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 רַב מְחוֹלֵֽל־כֹּל וְשֹׂכֵר כְּסִיל וְשֹׂכֵר עֹבְרִֽים׃

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 כְּכֶלֶב שָׁב עַל־קֵאוֹ כְּסִיל שׁוֹנֶה בְאִוַּלְתּֽוֹ׃

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 רָאִיתָ אִישׁ חָכָם בְּעֵינָיו תִּקְוָה לִכְסִיל מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

[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 אָמַר עָצֵל שַׁחַל בַּדָּרֶךְ אֲרִי בֵּין הָרְחֹבֽוֹת׃

Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”

14 הַדֶּלֶת תִּסּוֹב עַל־צִירָהּ וְעָצֵל עַל־מִטָּתֽוֹ׃

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 טָמַן עָצֵל יָדוֹ בַּצַּלָּחַת נִלְאָה לַהֲשִׁיבָהּ אֶל־פִּֽיו׃

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 חָכָם עָצֵל בְּעֵינָיו מִשִּׁבְעָה מְשִׁיבֵי טָֽעַם׃

Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.

17 מַחֲזִיק בְּאׇזְנֵי־כָלֶב עֹבֵר מִתְעַבֵּר עַל־רִיב לֹּא־לֽוֹ׃

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 כְּֽמִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיֹּרֶה זִקִּים חִצִּים וָמָֽוֶת׃

Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people

19 כֵּֽן־אִישׁ רִמָּה אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ וְאָמַר הֲֽלֹא־מְשַׂחֵק אָֽנִי׃

are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”

20 בְּאֶפֶס עֵצִים תִּכְבֶּה־אֵשׁ וּבְאֵין נִרְגָּן יִשְׁתֹּק מָדֽוֹן׃

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 פֶּחָם לְגֶחָלִים וְעֵצִים לְאֵשׁ וְאִישׁ (מדונים) [מִדְיָנִים] לְחַרְחַר־רִֽיב׃

[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 דִּבְרֵי נִרְגָּן כְּמִֽתְלַהֲמִים וְהֵם יָרְדוּ חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃

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 כֶּסֶף סִיגִים מְצֻפֶּה עַל־חָרֶשׂ שְׂפָתַיִם דֹּלְקִים וְלֶב־רָֽע׃

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 בִּשְׂפָתָו יִנָּכֵר שׂוֹנֵא וּבְקִרְבּוֹ יָשִׁית מִרְמָֽה׃

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 כִּֽי־יְחַנֵּן קוֹלוֹ אַל־תַּאֲמֶן־בּוֹ כִּי שֶׁבַע תּוֹעֵבוֹת בְּלִבּֽוֹ׃

When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.

26 תִּכַּסֶּה שִׂנְאָה בְּמַשָּׁאוֹן תִּגָּלֶה רָֽעָתוֹ בְקָהָֽל׃

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 כֹּֽרֶה־שַּׁחַת בָּהּ יִפּוֹל וְגוֹלֵֽל אֶבֶן אֵלָיו תָּשֽׁוּב׃

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 לְֽשׁוֹן־שֶׁקֶר יִשְׂנָא דַכָּיו וּפֶה חָלָק יַעֲשֶׂה מִדְחֶֽה׃

Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.