Proverbs 26
26
1Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
honor is not fitting for a fool.
2Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
3A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the backs of fools!
4Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you yourself will be just like him.
5Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.
6Sending a message by the hands of a fool
is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
7Like the useless legs of one who is lame
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
8Like tying a stone in a sling
is the giving of honor to a fool.
9Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
10Like an archer who wounds at random
is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11As a dog returns to its vomit,
so fools repeat their folly.
12Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for them.
13A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!”
14As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed.
15A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven people who answer discreetly.
17Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.
18Like a maniac shooting
flaming arrows of death
19is one who deceives their neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”
20Without wood a fire goes out;
without a gossip a quarrel dies down.
21As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
22The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.
23Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
are fervent#26:23 Hebrew; Septuagint smooth lips with an evil heart.
24Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,
but in their hearts they harbor deceit.
25Though their speech is charming, do not believe them,
for seven abominations fill their hearts.
26Their malice may be concealed by deception,
but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27Whoever digs a pit will fall into it;
if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.
28A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.
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Proverbs 26: NIV
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.
Proverbs 26
26
1Honoring someone stupid is as inappropriate as snow in the summer or rain during harvest.
2A curse that isn't deserved won't land on the person, like a fluttering sparrow or a flitting swallow.
3Horses need a whip, donkeys need a bridle, and stupid people need a rod on their backs!
4Don't answer stupid people following their stupidity, or you'll become as bad as them.
5Answer stupid people following their stupidity, otherwise they'll think they're wise.#26:5. While this verse appears to contradict the previous one, there is a play on words here. In the first, “following their stupidity” means “agreeing with it.” In the second, the phrase means “as it deserves.”
6Trusting someone stupid to deliver a message is like cutting off your feet or drinking poison.
7A proverb spoken by someone stupid is as useless as a lame person's legs.
8Honoring someone stupid is as pointless as tying a stone into a sling.#26:8. For if the stone is tied in, the slingshot cannot function.
9A proverb spoken by someone stupid is as ridiculous as a thorn bush waved around by a drunk.
10Anyone who hires someone stupid or just a passer-by is like an archer wounding people by shooting arrows at random.#26:10. The Hebrew of this verse is unclear.
11Stupid people repeat their stupidity like a dog returning to its vomit.
12Have you seen a man who is wise in his own eyes? There's more hope for stupid people than for him!
13Lazy people are the ones who say, “There's a lion on the road—a lion running around the streets!”#26:13. In other words, they make excuses for not going out to work.
14A lazy person turns in bed like a door turns on its hinge.
15Lazy people put their hands in a dish, but are too tired to lift the food to their mouths.
16In their own eyes lazy people are wiser than many#26:16. In the text the number seven is given, symbolic of a large number, completion. This is used in a similar way in verse 25. sensible advisors.
17Interfering in someone else's quarrel is like grabbing a stray dog by the ears.
18You're like a crazy person firing off blazing arrows and killing people
19if you lie to your friend and then say, “I was only joking!”
20Without wood, the fire goes out; and without gossips, arguments stop.
21An argumentative person fires up quarrels like putting charcoal on hot embers or wood on a fire.
22Listening to gossip is like gulping down bites of your favorite food—they go deep down inside you.
23Smooth#26:23. Septuagint reading. talking with evil intent is like a shiny lead glaze on an earthenware pot.#26:23. The implication here is that like a fine finish given to a cheap pot, pleasant words can mask bad motives.
24People say nice things to you even though they hate you; deep down they're just lying to you.
25When people talk nicely to you, don't believe them—their minds are full of hate for you.
26Even though their hatred may be hidden by cunning tricks, their evil will be revealed to everyone.
27Those who dig pits to trap others will fall in themselves, and those who start boulders rolling will be crushed themselves.
28If you tell lies, you show you hate your victims; if you flatter people, you cause disaster.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com