Proverbs 26
1 Honoring someone stupid is as inappropriate as snow in the summer or rain during harvest.
As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so, unbecoming to a dullard is honour.
2 A curse that isn't deserved won't land on the person, like a fluttering sparrow or a flitting swallow.
As a sparrow in wandering, as a swallow in flying, so, a causeless curse, shall not alight.
3 Horses need a whip, donkeys need a bridle, and stupid people need a rod on their backs!
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the back of dullards.
4 Don't answer stupid people following their stupidity, or you'll become as bad as them.
Do not answer a dullard, according to his folly, lest, even thou thyself, become like him;
5 Answer stupid people following their stupidity, otherwise they'll think they're wise.
Answer a dullard according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.
6 Trusting someone stupid to deliver a message is like cutting of your feet or drinking poison.
One who cutteth off feet, one who drinketh down wrong, is he who sendeth a message by the hand of a dullard.
7 A proverb spoken by someone stupid is as useless as a lame person's legs.
Useless are the legs of the lame, and a proverb, in the mouth of a dullard.
8 Honoring someone stupid is as pointless as tying a stone into a sling.
Like tying a stone to a sling, so, is he that giveth honour, to a dullard.
9 A proverb spoken by someone stupid is as ridiculous as a thorn bush waved around by a drunk.
A brier cometh into the hand of a drunken-man, a proverb into the mouth of dullards.
10 Anyone who hires someone stupid or just a passer-by is like an archer wounding people by shooting arrows at random.
[As] an archer who woundeth every thing, [so] one who hireth a dullard, and a drunkard crossing the sea.
11 Stupid people repeat their stupidity like a dog returning to its vomit.
As, a dog, returneth onto his own vomit, a dullard, repeateth his folly.
12 Have you seen a man who is wise in his own eyes? There's more hope for stupid people than for him!
Thou hast seen a man wise in his own eye, —more hope of a dullard, than of him!
13 Lazy people are the ones who say, “There's a lion on the road—a lion running around the streets!”
Saith the sluggard, A roaring lion in the road! A tearing lion in the midst of the broadways.
14 A lazy person turns in bed like a door turns on its hinge.
The door, turneth on its hinges, and, the sluggard, upon his bed.
15 Lazy people put their hands in a dish, but are too tired to lift the food to their mouths.
The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish, he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16 In their own eyes lazy people are wiser than many sensible advisors.
Wiser is the sluggard in his own eyes, than, seven persons, who can answer with judgment.
17 Interfering in someone else's quarrel is like grabbing a stray dog by the ears.
As he who layeth hold of the ears of a dog, is a passer-by, who giveth vent to his wrath over a quarrel, not his!
18 You're like a crazy person firing off blazing arrows and killing people
As a madman throwing firebrands, arrows and death,
19 if you lie to your friend and then say, “I was only joking!”
So, is a man who deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Was not, I, in sport?
20 Without wood, the fire goes out; and without gossips, arguments stop.
Without wood a fire is quenched, and, where there is no tattler, strife is hushed.
21 An argumentative person fires up quarrels like putting charcoal on hot embers or wood on a fire.
Black coal to burning blocks, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man, for kindling strife.
22 Listening to gossip is like gulping down bites of your favorite food—they go deep down inside you.
the words of a tattler, are dainties, they, therefore go down into the chambers of the inner man.
23 Smooth talking with evil intent is like a shiny lead glaze on an earthenware pot.
Dross silver overlaid upon earthenware, so are burning lips, with a mischievous heart:
24 People say nice things to you even though they hate you; deep down they're just lying to you.
With his lips, the hater dissembleth, but, within himself, he layeth up deceit:
25 When people talk nicely to you, don't believe them—their minds are full of hate for you.
Though he make gracious his voice, do not trust him, for, seven abominations, are in his heart:
26 Even though their hatred may be hidden by cunning tricks, their evil will be revealed to everyone.
Hatred may clothe itself with guile, his wickedness shall be disclosed in the convocation.
27 Those who dig pits to trap others will fall in themselves, and those who start boulders rolling will be crushed themselves.
He that diggeth a pit, thereinto, shall fall, and, he that rolleth a stone, upon himself, shall it return.
28 If you tell lies, you show you hate your victims; if you flatter people, you cause disaster.
A false tongue, hateth them who are crushed by it, and, a flattering mouth, worketh occasion of stumbling.
