Proverbs 26

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

As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest; so honor is not seemly for a fool.

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

As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

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

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.

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

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like him.

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

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

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

He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, [and] drinketh damage.

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

The legs of the lame are not equal: so [is] a parable in the mouth of fools.

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

As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so [is] he that giveth honor to a fool.

9 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.

[As] a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so [is] a parable in the mouth of fools.

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

The great [God] that formed all [things] both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

11 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.

As a dog returneth to his vomit, [so] a fool returneth to his folly.

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

Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? [there is] more hope of a fool than of him.

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

The slothful [man] saith, [There is] a lion in the way; a lion [is] in the streets.

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

[As] the door turneth upon its hinges, so [doth] the slothful upon his bed.

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

The slothful hideth [his] hand in [his] bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

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

The sluggard [is] wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

17 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.

He that passeth by, [and] meddleth with strife [belonging] not to him, [is like] one that taketh a dog by the ears.

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

As a mad [man] who casteth fire-brands, arrows, and death,

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

So [is] the man [that] deceiveth his neighbor, and saith, Am not I in sport?

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

Where no wood is, [there] the fire goeth out: so where [there is] no tale-bearer, the strife ceaseth.

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

[As] coals [are] to burning coals, and wood to fire; so [is] a contentious man to kindle strife.

22 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.

The words of a tale-bearer [are] as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

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

Burning lips and a wicked heart [are like] a potsherd covered with silver dross.

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

He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;

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

When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for [there are] seven abominations in his heart.

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

[Whose] hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shown before the [whole] congregation.

27 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.

Whoever diggeth a pit shall fall into it: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

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

A lying tongue hateth [those that are] afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.