Proverbs 26
26
1Like snow in summer and rain at harvest,#1Sm 12:17
honor is inappropriate for a fool.#Pr 17:7; 19:10
2Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow,#Pr 27:8
an undeserved curse goes nowhere.#Nm 23:8; Dt 23:5; 2Sm 16:12
3A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,#Ps 32:9
and a rod for the backs of fools.#Pr 10:13; 19:29
4Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness#Pr 23:9; 29:9; Mt 7:6; Lk 23:9
or you’ll be like him yourself.
5Answer a fool according to his foolishness#Mt 16:1–4; 21:24–27
or he’ll become wise in his own eyes.#Pr 26:12; 28:11; Rm 12:16
6The one who sends a message by a fool’s hand#Pr 10:26; 25:13
cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.#Pr 13:2
7A proverb in the mouth of a fool
is like lame legs that hang limp.
8Giving honor to a fool
is like binding a stone in a sling.
9A proverb in the mouth of a fool
is like a stick with thorns,
brandished by#26:9 Lit thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard.
10The one who hires a fool or who hires those passing by
is like an archer who wounds everyone indiscriminately.
11As a dog returns to its vomit,
so also a fool repeats his foolishness.#2Pt 2:22
12Do you see a person who is wise in his own eyes?#Pr 3:7; 26:5; Rm 12:16
There is more hope for a fool than for him.#Pr 29:20
13The slacker says, “There’s a lion in the road —
a lion in the public square!” #Pr 22:13
14A door turns on its hinges,
and a slacker, on his bed.#Pr 6:9–10; 19:15
15The slacker buries his hand in the bowl;
he is too weary to bring it to his mouth!#Pr 12:27; 19:24
16In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser#Pr 26:5,12; 28:11
than seven who can answer sensibly.
17A person who is passing by and meddles in a quarrel that’s not his
is like one who grabs a dog by the ears.
18Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows,#Is 50:11
19so is the person who deceives his neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”
20Without wood, fire goes out;
without a gossip, conflict dies down.#Pr 16:28; 22:10
21As charcoal for embers and wood for fire,
so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.#Pr 15:18
22A gossip’s words are like choice food
that goes down to one’s innermost being.#26:22 Lit to the chambers of the belly#Pr 18:8
23Smooth#26:23 LXX; MT reads Burning lips with an evil heart
are like glaze on an earthen vessel.#Mt 23:27; Lk 11:39
24A hateful person disguises himself with his speech
and harbors deceit within.
25When he speaks graciously, don’t believe him,
for there are seven detestable things in his heart.#Ps 28:3
26Though his hatred is concealed by deception,
his evil will be revealed in the assembly.
27The one who digs a pit will fall into it,
and whoever rolls a stone —
it will come back on him.#Est 7:10; Jb 4:8; Pr 28:10; Dn 6:24; Mt 26:52
28A lying tongue hates those it crushes,
and a flattering mouth causes ruin.
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Proverbs 26: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Proverbs 26
26
1As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour beseemeth not a fool.
2As the sparrow for flitting about, as the swallow for flying, so a curse undeserved shall not come.
3A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the back of fools.
4Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. 5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
6He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off his own feet, and drinketh damage. 7The legs of the lame hang loose; so is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 8As a bag of gems in a stoneheap, so is he that giveth honour to a fool. 9As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10A master roughly worketh every one: he both hireth the fool and hireth passers-by.
11As a dog turneth back to its vomit, so a fool repeateth his folly.
12Hast thou seen a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope of a fool than of him.
13The sluggard saith, There is a fierce lion in the way; a lion is in the midst of the streets!
14 As the door turneth upon its hinges, so the sluggard upon his bed.
15The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish: it wearieth him to bring it again to his mouth.
16A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men that answer discreetly.
17He that passing by vexeth himself with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.
18As a madman who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, 19so is a man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am I not in sport?
20Where no wood is, the fire goeth out; and where there is no talebearer, the contention ceaseth. 21As coals for hot coals, and wood for fire, so is a contentious man to inflame strife. 22The words of a talebearer are as dainty morsels, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
23Ardent lips, and a wicked heart, are as an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross.
24He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, but he layeth up deceit within him: 25when his voice is gracious, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart. 26Though his hatred is covered by dissimulation, his wickedness shall be made manifest in the congregation.
27Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein; and he that rolleth a stone, it shall return upon him.
28A lying tongue hateth those that are injured by it, and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.