Proverbs 26
1 Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not fitting for a fool.
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 Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn’t come to rest.
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 A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools!
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 Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.
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 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 One who sends a message by the hand of a fool is cutting off feet and drinking violence.
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 Like the legs of the lame that hang loose, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 As one who binds a stone in a sling, so is he who gives honour to a fool.
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 Like a thorn bush that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
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 As an archer who wounds all, so is he who hires a fool or he who hires those who pass by.
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 As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.
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 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
[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 The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion roams the streets!”
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed.
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 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish. He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
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 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer with discretion.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] 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.
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 Like a madman who shoots torches, arrows, and death,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 is the man who deceives his neighbour and says, “Am I not joking?”
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.
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 As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindling strife.
[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 The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, they go down into the innermost parts.
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 Like silver dross on an earthen vessel are the lips of a fervent one with an evil heart.
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 A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but he harbours evil in his heart.
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 When his speech is charming, don’t believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
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 Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
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 A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering mouth works ruin.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
