Proverbs 26
26
All about Fools
1Like snow in summertime and rain at harvest time,
so honor is not right for a fool.
2Like a fluttering sparrow,
like a darting swallow,
so a hastily spoken curse does not come to rest.
3A whip is for the horse,
a bridle is for the donkey,
and a rod is for the backs of fools.
4Do not answer a fool with his own stupidity,
or you will be like him.
5Answer a fool with his own stupidity,
or he will think he is wise.
6Whoever uses a fool to send a message
cuts off his own feet and brings violence upon himself.
7 ⌞Like⌟ a lame person’s limp legs,
so is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
8Like tying a stone to a sling,
so is giving honor to a fool.
9 ⌞Like⌟ a thorn stuck in a drunk’s hand,
so is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
10 ⌞Like⌟ many people who destroy everything,
so is one who hires fools or drifters.
11As a dog goes back to its vomit,
⌞so⌟ a fool repeats his stupidity.
12Have you met a person who thinks he is wise?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13A lazy person says,
“There’s a ferocious lion out on the road!
There’s a lion loose in the streets!”
14 ⌞As⌟ a door turns on its hinges,
so the lazy person turns on his bed.
15A lazy person puts his fork in his food.
He wears himself out as he brings it back to his mouth.
16A lazy person thinks he is wiser than seven people who give a sensible answer.
17 ⌞Like⌟ grabbing a dog by the ears,
⌞so⌟ is a bystander who gets involved in someone else’s quarrel.
18Like a madman who shoots flaming arrows, arrows, and death,
19so is the person who tricks his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”
20Without wood a fire goes out,
and without gossip a quarrel dies down.
21 ⌞As⌟ charcoal fuels burning coals and wood fuels fire,
so a quarrelsome person fuels a dispute.
22The words of a gossip are swallowed greedily,
and they go down into a person’s innermost being.
23 ⌞Like⌟ a clay pot covered with cheap silver,
⌞so⌟ is smooth talk that covers up an evil heart.
24Whoever is filled with hate disguises it with his speech,
but inside he holds on to deceit.
25When he talks charmingly, do not trust him
because of the seven disgusting things in his heart.
26His hatred is deceitfully hidden,
but his wickedness will be revealed to the community.
27Whoever digs a pit will fall into it.
Whoever rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
28A lying tongue hates its victims,
and a flattering mouth causes ruin.
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Proverbs 26: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 26
26
1It shouldn’t snow in summer or rain at harvest.
Neither should a foolish person ever be honored.
2Curses will not harm someone who is innocent.
They are like sparrows or swallows that fly around and never land.
3A whip is used to guide a horse, and a harness is used for a donkey.
In the same way, a paddle is used on a foolish person to guide him.
4Don’t give a foolish person a foolish answer.
If you do, you will be just like him.
5But answer a foolish person as he should be answered.
If you don’t, he will think he is really wise.
6Don’t send a message by a foolish person.
That would be like cutting off your feet or drinking poison.
7A wise saying spoken by a fool does no good.
It is like the legs of a crippled person.
8Giving honor to a foolish person does no good.
It is like tying a stone in a slingshot.
9A wise saying spoken by a fool
is like a thorn stuck in the hand of a drunk.
10Someone might employ a foolish person or anyone just passing by.
That employer is like an archer who shoots at anything he sees.
11A dog eats what it throws up.
And a foolish person repeats his foolishness.
12Some people think they are wise.
There is more hope for a foolish person than for them.
13The lazy person says, “There’s a lion in the road.
There’s a lion in the streets!”
14The lazy person is like a door that turns back and forth on its hinges.
He stays in bed and turns over and over.
15The lazy person may put his hand in the dish.
But he’s too tired to lift the food to his mouth.
16The lazy person thinks he is wiser
than seven people who give sensible answers.
17To grab a dog by the ears is asking for trouble.
So is interfering in someone else’s quarrel if you’re just passing by.
18-19A person shouldn’t trick his neighbor
and then say, “I was just joking!”
That is like a madman shooting
deadly, burning arrows.
20Without wood, a fire will go out.
And without gossip, quarreling will stop.
21Charcoal and wood keep a fire going.
In the same way, a quarrelsome person keeps an argument going.
22The words of a gossip are like tasty bits of food.
People take them all in.
23Kind words from a wicked mind
are like a shiny coating on a clay pot.
24A person who hates you may fool you with his words.
But in his mind he is planning evil.
25His words are kind, but don’t believe him.
His mind is full of evil thoughts.
26He hides his hate with lies.
But his evil will be plain to everyone.
27Whoever digs a deep trap for others will fall into it himself.
Whoever tries to roll a boulder over others will be crushed by it.
28A liar hates the people he hurts.
And false praise can ruin others.
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.