Proverbs 26
26
1Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest,
so honor is not fitting for a fool.
2Like a fluttering sparrow,
like a darting swallow,
so the undeserved curse doesn’t come to rest.
3A whip is for the horse,
a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the back of fools!
4Don’t answer a fool according to his folly,
lest you also be like him.
5Answer a fool according to his folly,
lest he be wise in his own eyes.
6One who sends a message by the hand of a fool
is cutting off feet and drinking violence.
7Like the legs of the lame that hang loose,
so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
8As one who binds a stone in a sling,
so is he who gives honor to a fool.
9Like a thorn bush that goes into the hand of a drunkard,
so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
10As an archer who wounds all,
so is he who hires a fool
or he who hires those who pass by.
11As a dog that returns to his vomit,
so is a fool who repeats his folly.
12Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!
A fierce lion roams the streets!”
14As the door turns on its hinges,
so does the sluggard on his bed.
15The sluggard buries his hand in the dish.
He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven men who answer with discretion.
17Like one who grabs a dog’s ears
is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own.
18Like a madman who shoots torches, arrows, and death,
19is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “Am I not joking?”
20For lack of wood a fire goes out.
Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.
21As coals are to hot embers,
and wood to fire,
so is a contentious man to kindling strife.
22The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels,
they go down into the innermost parts.
23Like silver dross on an earthen vessel
are the lips of a fervent one with an evil heart.
24A malicious man disguises himself with his lips,
but he harbors evil in his heart.
25When his speech is charming, don’t believe him,
for there are seven abominations in his heart.
26His malice may be concealed by deception,
but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it.
Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
28A lying tongue hates those it hurts;
and a flattering mouth works ruin.
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Proverbs 26: WEBUS
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Proverbs 26
26
Wise Sayings About Fools
1Just as snow should not fall in summer, nor rain at harvest time, so people should not honor a fool.
2Don’t worry when someone curses you for no reason. Nothing bad will happen. Such words are like birds that fly past and never stop.
3You have to whip a horse, you have to put a bridle on a mule, and you have to beat a fool.
4-5There is no good way to answer fools when they say something stupid. If you answer them, then you, too, will look like a fool. If you don’t answer them, they will think they are smart.
6Never let a fool carry your message. If you do, it will be like cutting off your own feet. You are only asking for trouble.
7A fool trying to say something wise is like a crippled person trying to walk.
8Showing honor to a fool is as bad as tying a rock in a sling.
9A fool trying to say something wise is like a drunk trying to pick a thorn out of his hand.
10Hiring a fool or a stranger who is just passing by is dangerous—you don’t know who might get hurt.
11Like a dog that returns to its vomit, a fool does the same foolish things again and again.
12People who think they are wise when they are not are worse than fools.
13A person who is lazy and wants to stay home says, “What if there is a lion out there? Really, there might be a lion in the street!”
14Like a door on its hinges, a lazy man turns back and forth on his bed.
15Lazy people are too lazy to lift the food from their plate to their mouth.
16Lazy people think they are seven times smarter than the people who really have good sense.
17To step between two people arguing is as foolish as going out into the street and grabbing a stray dog by the ears.
18-19Anyone who would trick someone and then say, “I was only joking” is like a fool who shoots flaming arrows into the air and accidentally kills someone.
20Without wood, a fire goes out. Without gossip, arguments stop.
21Charcoal keeps the coals glowing, wood keeps the fire burning, and troublemakers keep arguments alive.
22People love to hear gossip. It is like tasty food on its way to the stomach.
23Good words that hide an evil heart are like silver paint over a cheap, clay pot. 24Evil people say things to make themselves look good, but they keep their evil plans a secret. 25What they say sounds good, but don’t trust them. They are full of evil ideas. 26They hide their evil plans with nice words, but in the end, everyone will see the evil they do.
27Whoever digs a pit can fall into it. Whoever rolls a large stone can be crushed by it.
28Liars hate the people they hurt, and false praise can hurt people.
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