Proverbs 26

1 Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not fitting for a fool.

Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.

2 Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn’t come to rest.

As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.

3 A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools!

A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.

4 Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.

Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.

5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.

6 One who sends a message by the hand of a fool is cutting off feet and drinking violence.

He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.

7 Like the legs of the lame that hang loose, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.

8 As one who binds a stone in a sling, so is he who gives honour to a fool.

Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.

9 Like a thorn bush that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.

10 As an archer who wounds all, so is he who hires a fool or he who hires those who pass by.

Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.

11 As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.

Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.

12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.

13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion roams the streets!”

The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

14 As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed.

A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.

15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish. He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.

16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer with discretion.

The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.

17 Like one who grabs a dog’s ears is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own.

He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.

18 Like a madman who shoots torches, arrows, and death,

As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,

19 is the man who deceives his neighbour and says, “Am I not joking?”

So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?

20 For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.

Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.

21 As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindling strife.

Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.

22 The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, they go down into the innermost parts.

The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.

23 Like silver dross on an earthen vessel are the lips of a fervent one with an evil heart.

Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.

24 A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but he harbours evil in his heart.

With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;

25 When his speech is charming, don’t believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.

When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:

26 His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.

27 Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.

He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.

28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering mouth works ruin.

A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.