Proverbios 26
1 Como la nieve en verano y la lluvia cuando se corta el grano, el honor no es natural para los necios.
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 Como el gorrión en su vagabundeo y la golondrina sin nido, así la maldición no llega sin una causa.
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 Un látigo para el caballo, una boca para el asno, y una vara para la espalda de los tontos.
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 No le des una respuesta necia al necio, o serás como él.
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 Da una respuesta necia al necio, o parecerá sabio a sí mismo.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 El que envía la noticia por mano de un necio, le corta los pies y bebe su daño.
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 Las piernas de alguien que no tiene poder de caminar cuelgan sueltas; así es un dicho sabio en la boca de los necios.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Dar honor a un hombre necio es como tratar de mantener una piedra fija en un cordón.
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 Como un aguijón que sube a la mano de un hombre vencido por la bebida, así es una palabra sabia en la boca de un hombre necio.
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 Como el arquero que hiere a todos los que pasan, es un necio vencido por la bebida.
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 Como un perro que regresa a su vómito, es el hombre tonto haciendo sus tontos actos otra vez.
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 ¿Has visto a un hombre que parece ser sabio? Hay más esperanza para los necios que para él.
[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 El que odia el trabajo dice: Hay un león en el camino; un león está en las calles.
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Una puerta se convierte en su columna, y el que odia el trabajo en su cama.
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 El que odia el trabajo pone su mano profundamente en la vasija: volver a llevársela a la boca es un fastidio para él.
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 El que odia el trabajo en su opinión, se cree más sabio que siete hombres que son capaces de dar una respuesta con buen sentido.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 El que se confunde en una pelea que no le compete, es como el que toma un perro de las orejas mientras pasa.
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 Como el que está fuera de sí, lanza palos ardientes y flechas de muerte,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 así es el hombre que se aprovecha del engaño de su prójimo, y dice: ¿solo era una broma?
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Sin madera, el fuego se apaga; y donde no hay una conversación secreta, el argumento se termina.
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 Como aliento sobre carbones y leña en llamas, entonces un hombre dado a la discusión comienza una pelea.
[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 Las palabras de uno que dice mal de su prójimo en secreto son como alimento dulce, descienden a las partes internas del estómago.
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 Los labios lisos y el corazón malo son como un vaso de barro bañado en plata.
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 Con sus labios, el que odia hace que las cosas parezcan lo que no son, pero el engaño se acumula dentro de él;
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 Cuando dice palabras buenas, no tengas fe en él; porque en su corazón hay siete males.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Aunque su odio esté cubierto de engaño, su pecado será visto abiertamente antes de la reunión del pueblo.
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 El que hace un hoyo en la tierra, él mismo irá cayendo en ella; y sobre aquel por quien se hace rodar una piedra, lo aplastará.
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 Una lengua falsa tiene odio para aquellos que tienen corazones limpios, y una boca aduladora es la causa de la caída.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
