מִשְׁלֵי 26

1 כַּשֶּׁ֤לֶג ׀ בַּקַּ֗יִץ וְכַמָּטָ֥ר בַּקָּצִ֑יר כֵּ֤ן לֹא־נָאוֶ֖ה לִכְסִ֣יל כָּבֹֽוד׃

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 כַּצִּפֹּ֣ור לָ֭נוּד כַּדְּרֹ֣ור לָע֑וּף כֵּ֥ן קִֽלְלַ֥ת חִ֝נָּ֗ם לֹא (לֹ֣ו) 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 שֹׁ֣וט לַ֭סּוּס מֶ֣תֶג לַחֲמֹ֑ור וְ֝שֵׁ֗בֶט לְגֵ֣ו 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־תַּ֣עַן כְּ֭סִיל כְּאִוַּלְתֹּ֑ו פֶּֽן־תִּשְׁוֶה־לֹּ֥ו 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 עֲנֵ֣ה כְ֭סִיל כְּאִוַּלְתֹּ֑ו פֶּן־יִהְיֶ֖ה חָכָ֣ם 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 מְקַצֶּ֣ה רַ֭גְלַיִם חָמָ֣ס שֹׁתֶ֑ה שֹׁלֵ֖חַ דְּבָרִ֣ים 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 דַּלְי֣וּ שֹׁ֭קַיִם מִפִּסֵּ֑חַ וּ֝מָשָׁ֗ל בְּפִ֣י 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 כִּצְרֹ֣ור אֶ֭בֶן בְּמַרְגֵּמָ֑ה כֵּן־נֹותֵ֖ן לִכְסִ֣יל כָּבֹֽוד׃

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 חֹ֭וחַ עָלָ֣ה בְיַד־שִׁכֹּ֑ור וּ֝מָשָׁ֗ל בְּפִ֣י 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 רַ֥ב מְחֹֽולֵֽל־כֹּ֑ל וְשֹׂכֵ֥ר כְּ֝סִ֗יל וְשֹׂכֵ֥ר 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 כְּ֭כֶלֶב שָׁ֣ב עַל־קֵאֹ֑ו כְּ֝סִ֗יל שֹׁונֶ֥ה בְאִוַּלְתֹּֽו׃

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 רָאִ֗יתָ אִ֭ישׁ חָכָ֣ם בְּעֵינָ֑יו תִּקְוָ֖ה לִכְסִ֣יל 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 אָמַ֣ר עָ֭צֵל שַׁ֣חַל בַּדָּ֑רֶךְ אֲ֝רִ֗י בֵּ֣ין הָרְחֹבֹֽות׃

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

14 הַ֭דֶּלֶת תִּסֹּ֣וב עַל־צִירָ֑הּ וְ֝עָצֵ֗ל עַל־מִטָּתֹֽו׃

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 טָ֘מַ֤ן עָצֵ֣ל יָ֭דֹו בַּצַּלָּ֑חַת נִ֝לְאָ֗ה לַֽהֲשִׁיבָ֥הּ 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 חָכָ֣ם עָצֵ֣ל בְּעֵינָ֑יו מִ֝שִּׁבְעָ֗ה מְשִׁ֣יבֵי טָֽעַם׃

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

17 מַחֲזִ֥יק בְּאָזְנֵי־כָ֑לֶב עֹבֵ֥ר מִ֝תְעַבֵּ֗ר עַל־רִ֥יב לֹּֽא־לֹֽו׃

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 כְּֽ֭מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיֹּרֶ֥ה זִקִּ֗ים חִצִּ֥ים וָמָֽוֶת׃

Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people

19 כֵּֽן־אִ֭ישׁ רִמָּ֣ה אֶת־רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְ֝אָמַ֗ר הֲ‍ֽלֹא־מְשַׂחֵ֥ק אָֽנִי׃

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

20 בְּאֶ֣פֶס עֵ֭צִים תִּכְבֶּה־אֵ֑שׁ וּבְאֵ֥ין נִ֝רְגָּ֗ן יִשְׁתֹּ֥ק מָדֹֽון׃

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 פֶּחָ֣ם לְ֭גֶחָלִים וְעֵצִ֣ים לְאֵ֑שׁ וְאִ֥ישׁ מִדֹונִים (מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים) לְחַרְחַר־רִֽיב׃ פ

[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 דִּבְרֵ֣י נִ֭רְגָּן כְּמִֽתְלַהֲמִ֑ים וְ֝הֵ֗ם יָרְד֥וּ 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 כֶּ֣סֶף סִ֭יגִים מְצֻפֶּ֣ה עַל־חָ֑רֶשׂ שְׂפָתַ֖יִם דֹּלְקִ֣ים 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 בִּשְׂפָתֹו (בִּ֭שְׂפָתָיו) יִנָּכֵ֣ר שֹׂונֵ֑א וּ֝בְקִרְבֹּ֗ו יָשִׁ֥ית 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־יְחַנֵּ֣ן קֹ֭ולֹו אַל־תַּֽאֲמֶן־בֹּ֑ו כִּ֤י שֶׁ֖בַע תֹּועֵבֹ֣ות בְּלִבֹּֽו׃

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

26 תִּכַּסֶּ֣ה שִׂ֭נְאָה בְּמַשָּׁאֹ֑ון תִּגָּלֶ֖ה רָעָתֹ֣ו 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־שַּׁ֭חַת בָּ֣הּ יִפֹּ֑ל וְגֹ֥לֵ֥ל אֶ֝בֶן אֵלָ֥יו 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 לְֽשֹׁון־שֶׁ֭קֶר יִשְׂנָ֣א דַכָּ֑יו וּפֶ֥ה חָ֝לָ֗ק יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה מִדְחֶֽה׃

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