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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Proverbs 26: ERV
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Proverbs 26
26
1Praise for a fool is out of place, like snow in summer or rain at harvest time.
2Curses cannot hurt you unless you deserve them. They are like birds that fly by and never settle.
3You have to whip a horse, you have to bridle a donkey, and you have to beat a fool.
4If you answer a silly question, you are just as silly as the person who asked it.
5Give a silly answer to a silly question, and the one who asked it will realize that he's not as clever as he thinks.
6If you let a fool deliver a message, you might as well cut off your own feet; you are asking for trouble.
7A fool can use a proverb about as well as crippled people can use their legs.
8Praising someone who is stupid makes as much sense as tying a stone in a sling.
9A fool quoting a wise saying reminds you of a drunk trying to pick a thorn out of his hand.
10An employer who hires any fool that comes along is only hurting everybody concerned.#26.10 Verse 10 in Hebrew is unclear.
11A fool doing some stupid thing a second time is like a dog going back to its vomit.
12The most stupid fool is better off than someone who thinks he is wise when he is not.
13Why don't lazy people ever get out of the house? What are they afraid of? Lions?
14Lazy people turn over in bed. They get no farther than a door swinging on its hinges.
15Some people are too lazy to put food in their own mouths.
16A lazy person will think he is more intelligent than seven people who can give good reasons for their opinions.
17Getting involved in an argument that is none of your business is like going down the street and grabbing a dog by the ears.
18-19Someone who misleads someone else and then claims that he was only joking is like a mad person playing with a deadly weapon.
20Without wood, a fire goes out; without gossip, quarrelling stops.
21Charcoal keeps the embers glowing, wood keeps the fire burning, and troublemakers keep arguments alive.
22Gossip is so tasty! How we love to swallow it!
23Insincere#26.23 One ancient translation Insincere; Hebrew Burning. talk that hides what you are really thinking is like a fine glaze#26.23 Probable text fine glaze; Hebrew unrefined silver. on a cheap clay pot.
24A hypocrite hides hatred behind flattering words. 25They may sound fine, but don't believe him, because his heart is filled to the brim with hate. 26He may disguise his hatred, but everyone will see the evil things he does.
27People who set traps for others get caught themselves. People who start landslides get crushed.
28You have to hate someone to want to hurt him with lies. Insincere talk brings nothing but ruin.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.