Proverbs 26
26
1Like snow in the summer or rain at harvest,
so honor isn’t appropriate for a fool.
2Like a darting sparrow, like a flying swallow,
so an undeserved curse never arrives.
3A whip for a horse, a bridle for a donkey,
and a rod for the back of fools.
4Don’t answer fools according to their folly,
or you will become like them yourself.
5Answer fools according to their folly,
or they will deem themselves wise.
6Sending messages with a fool
is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking down violence.
7As legs dangle from a disabled person,
so does a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8Like tying a stone in a sling,
so is giving respect to a fool.
9Like a thorny bush in the hand of a drunk,
so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10Like an archer who wounds someone randomly,
so is one who hires a fool or a passerby.
11Like a dog that returns to its vomit,
so a fool repeats foolish mistakes.
12Do you see people who consider themselves wise?
There is more hope for a fool than for them.
13A lazy person says, “There’s a lion in the path!
A lion in the plazas!”
14As a door turns on its hinge,
so do lazy people in their beds.
15Lazy people bury their hand into the bowl,
too tired to return it to their mouth.
16Lazy people think they are wiser
than seven people who answer sensibly.
17Like yanking the ears of a dog,
so is one who passes by and gets involved in another person’s fight.
18Like a crazy person shooting deadly flaming arrows
19are those who deceive their neighbor and say, “Hey, I was only joking!”
20Without wood a fire goes out;
without gossips, conflict calms down.
21Like adding charcoal to embers or wood to fire,
quarrelsome people kindle strife.
22The words of gossips are like choice snacks;
they go down to the inmost parts.
23Smooth#26.23 LXX; Heb uncertain lips and an evil heart
are like silver coating on clay.
24Hateful people mislead with their lips,
keeping their deception within.
25Though they speak graciously, don’t believe them,
for seven horrible things are in their heart.
26They may cover their hatred with trickery,
but their evil will be revealed in public.
27Those who dig a pit will fall in it;
those who roll a stone will have it turn back on them.
28A lying tongue hates those it crushes;
a flattering mouth causes destruction.
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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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