Proverbs 26
26
Don't Be a Fool
1Expecting snow in summer
and rain in the dry season
makes more sense
than honoring a fool.
2A curse you don't deserve
will take wings and fly away
like a sparrow or a swallow.
3Horses and donkeys
must be beaten and bridled—
and so must fools.
4Don't make a fool of yourself
by answering a fool.
5But if you answer any fools,
show how foolish they are,
so they won't feel smart.
6Sending a message by a fool
is like chopping off your foot
just to spite yourself.
7A fool with words of wisdom
is like an athlete
with legs that can't move.#26.7 with … move: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8Are you going to honor a fool?
Why not shoot a slingshot
with the rock tied tight?
9A thornbush waved around
in the hand of a drunkard
is no worse than a proverb
in the mouth of a fool.
10It's no smarter to shoot arrows
at every passerby
than it is to hire a bunch
of worthless nobodies.#26.10 nobodies: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
11 #
2 P 2.22. Dogs return to eat their vomit,
just as fools repeat
their foolishness.
12There is more hope for a fool
than for someone who says,
“I'm really smart!”
13Don't be lazy and keep saying,
“There's a lion outside!”
14A door turns on its hinges,
but a lazy person
just turns over in bed.
15Some of us are so lazy
that we won't lift a hand
to feed ourselves.
16A lazy person says,
“I am smarter
than everyone else.”
17It's better to take hold
of a mad dog by the ears
than to take part
in someone else's argument.
18It's no crazier to shoot
sharp and flaming arrows
19than to cheat someone and say,
“I was only fooling!”
20Where there is no fuel
a fire goes out;
where there is no gossip
arguments come to an end.
21Troublemakers start trouble,
just as sparks and fuel
start a fire.
22There is nothing so delicious
as the taste of gossip!
It melts in your mouth.
23Hiding hateful thoughts
behind smooth#26.23 smooth: One ancient translation; Hebrew “hateful.” talk
is like coating a clay pot
with a cheap glaze.
24The pleasant talk
of an enemy
hides more evil plans
25than can be counted—
so don't believe a word!
26Everyone will see through
those evil plans.
27 #
Si 27.25-27. If you dig a pit,
you will fall in;
if you start a stone rolling,
it will roll back on you.
28Watch out for anyone
who tells lies and flatters—
they are out to get you.
Currently Selected:
Proverbs 26: CEV
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Mishle 26
26
1As sheleg (snow) in kayitz (summer), and as matar (rain) at katzir (harvest), so kavod is not fitting for a kesil (fool).
2As the tzippor in its fluttering, as the swallow in its flying, so the kelelah (curse) without cause shall not alight.
3A shot (whip) for the sus, a bridle for the chamor, and a shevet for the back of kesilim.
4Answer not a kesil (fool) according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
5Answer a kesil (fool) according to his folly, lest he be chacham in his own eyes.
6He that sendeth a message by the yad of a kesil (fool) cutteth off the raglayim, and drinketh chamas.
7The legs of the pisei'ach (lame man) hang limp; so is a mashal in the peh (mouth) of kesilim.
8As he that bindeth an even (stone) in a sling, so is he that giveth kavod to a kesil (fool).
9As a thornbush goeth up into the yad of a shikkor, so is a mashal in the peh (mouth) of kesilim.
10Like an archer wounding all, so is he that hireth the kesil (fool), or hireth the passerby.
11As a kelev returneth to his vomit, so a kesil (fool) returneth to his folly.
12Seest thou an ish chacham in his own eyes? There is more tikvah (hope) for a kesil (fool) than for him.
13The atzel (sluggard, lazy one) saith, There is a lion in the derech; an ari is in the rechovot.
14As the delet (door) turneth upon its hinges, so doth the atzel (sluggard, lazy one) upon his mittah (bed).
15The atzel (sluggard, lazy one) hideth his yad in his dish; itʼs too tiring to bring it back to his peh (mouth) again.
16The atzel (sluggard, lazy one) is chacham in his own eyes, more than seven that give an excellent answer.
17He that passeth by, and meddleth in a quarrel that doth not belong to him, is like one that taketh a kelev by the oznayim.
18As a mad man who shooteth firebrands, khitzim (arrows), and mavet,
19So is the ish that deceiveth his re'a, and saith, Am I not just having a laugh?
20Where no wood is, there the eish goeth out; so where there is no nirgan (gossip, slanderer, talebearer), the strife dieth down.
21As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to eish; so is a contentious ish to kindle strife.
22The devarim of a nirgan (gossip, slanderer, talebearer) are like tasty morsels, and they go down into the innermost chambers of the beten.
23Fervent sfatayim (lips) and a lev rah are like earthenware covered with silver dross.
24He that hateth disguises it with his sfatayim (lips), and within harboreth mirmah (deceit);
25When he speaketh fair, believe him not; for there are sheva to'avot in his lev.
26Whose hatred is covered by guile, yet his wickedness shall be exposed before the whole kahal.
27He who diggeth a shachat (pit) shall fall therein, and he that rolleth an even (stone), it will roll back upon him.
28A lashon sheker hateth those that are crushed by it; and a flattering peh (mouth) worketh ruin.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.