26 It is not right to give honour to a fool.
It is as silly as snow that falls in summer,
or rain that falls at the time of harvest.
2 If someone curses you for no reason, it will not stay with you.
Their words will be like birds that never stop to rest.
3 There are right ways to punish a horse or a donkey.
The right way to punish a fool is to beat him with a stick.
4 If someone asks you a silly question, do not give him a silly answer.
Be careful that you do not become as silly as he is.
5 If someone asks you a silly question, give him a silly answer.
Then he will know that he is not as wise as he thinks he is. [ a ]
6 If you send a message with a fool, there will be trouble.
It would be better to cut off your own feet!
7 A lame person cannot use his legs properly.
A fool cannot use a proverb properly.
8 If you tie a stone into a sling, it will be a useless weapon.
It is also useless to give honour to a fool.
9 A fool who speaks a proverb is like a drunk person with a thorn in his finger.
He does not know what to do with it.
10 A soldier who shoots his arrows everywhere is useless.
It is the same if you ask a stupid person to do work for you.
11 A sick dog goes back to eat what it could not keep in its stomach.
A fool goes back and makes the same mistakes again.
12 Some men think that they are already wise.
A fool is more likely to learn something than they are.
13 A lazy person does not go out of his house.
He says, ‘There is a lion outside in the street!’
14 A lazy person turns over in his bed,
like a door that continues to open and close.
15 A lazy person pushes his hand into his bowl of food.
But then he is too tired to lift his hand up to his mouth.
16 A lazy person thinks that he is very wise.
He thinks that he is wiser than seven people who can answer questions well.
17 When strangers are arguing, only a fool joins the argument.
It would be better if he took hold of a wild dog's ears!
18 A crazy man may shoot sharp arrows to kill people.
19 If a person deceives his friend and then laughs about it,
he is as bad as that crazy person.
20 Without wood, a fire stops burning.
When people do not tell their friends' secrets, quarrels stop.
21 But when a fire has wood, it continues to burn.
When people love to quarrel, there will always be arguments.
22 We love to hear other people's secrets.
They seem like good food that we can really enjoy.
23 When a hypocrite says nice words,
that is like a cheap pot with silver paint.
24 A hypocrite can say nice things to hide his thoughts,
but he is still thinking about ways to hurt people.
25 Do not believe him when he speaks kind words.
His mind is still full of evil things.
26 He may not seem to hate people, but he is telling lies.
In a public meeting, everyone will recognize his sins.
27 If a man digs a deep hole as a trap, he will fall into it himself.
If a man pushes a stone to fall on someone, it will fall back on him.
28 If you tell lies, it shows that you hate other people.
If you deceive people with sweet words, you will destroy them.
26 Just as snow should not fall in summer, nor rain at harvest time, so people should not honor a fool.
2 Don’t worry when someone curses you for no reason. Nothing bad will happen. Such words are like birds that fly past and never stop.
3 You have to whip a horse, you have to put a bridle on a mule, and you have to beat a fool.
4-5 There 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.
6 Never let a fool carry your message. If you do, it will be like cutting off your own feet. You are only asking for trouble.
7 A fool trying to say something wise is like a crippled person trying to walk.
8 Showing honor to a fool is as bad as tying a rock in a sling.
9 A fool trying to say something wise is like a drunk trying to pick a thorn out of his hand.
10 Hiring a fool or a stranger who is just passing by is dangerous—you don’t know who might get hurt.
11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit, a fool does the same foolish things again and again.
12 People who think they are wise when they are not are worse than fools.
13 A 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!”
14 Like a door on its hinges, a lazy man turns back and forth on his bed.
15 Lazy people are too lazy to lift the food from their plate to their mouth.
16 Lazy people think they are seven times smarter than the people who really have good sense.
17 To step between two people arguing is as foolish as going out into the street and grabbing a stray dog by the ears.
18-19 Anyone 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.
20 Without wood, a fire goes out. Without gossip, arguments stop.
21 Charcoal keeps the coals glowing, wood keeps the fire burning, and troublemakers keep arguments alive.
22 People love to hear gossip. It is like tasty food on its way to the stomach.
23 Good words that hide an evil heart are like silver paint over a cheap, clay pot. 24 Evil people say things to make themselves look good, but they keep their evil plans a secret. 25 What they say sounds good, but don’t trust them. They are full of evil ideas. 26 They hide their evil plans with nice words, but in the end, everyone will see the evil they do.
27 Whoever digs a pit can fall into it. Whoever rolls a large stone can be crushed by it.
28 Liars hate the people they hurt, and false praise can hurt people.
26 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.
2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.
4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
6 He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.
7 The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
8 As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.
9 As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouths of fools.
10 The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.
11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.
15 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.
16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.
17 He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.
18 As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
19 So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?
20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
23 Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.
24 He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;
25 When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.
27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.
28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.
26 Like snow in summer and like ( A ) rain in harvest,
So honor is not ( B ) fitting for a fool.
2 Like a ( C ) sparrow in its [ a ] flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
So a ( D ) curse without cause does not come to rest .
3 A ( E ) whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
And a ( F ) rod for the back of fools.
4 ( G ) Do not answer a fool [ b ] according to his foolishness,
Or you will also be like him.
5 ( H ) Answer a fool as his foolishness deserves ,
So that he will not be ( I ) wise in his own eyes.
6 One who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Chops off his own feet and drinks violence.
7 Like [ c ] useless legs to one who cannot walk,
So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
8 Like [ d ] one who binds a stone in a sling,
So is one who gives honor to a fool.
9 Like a thorn that [ e ] sticks in the hand of a heavy drinker,
So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
10 [ f ] Like an archer who wounds everyone,
So is one who hires a fool or hires those who pass by.
11 Like ( J ) a dog that returns to its vomit,
So is a fool who ( K ) repeats [ g ] his foolishness.
12 Do you see a person ( L ) wise in his own eyes?
( M ) There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 [ h ] A ( N ) lazy one says, “There is a lion on the road!
A lion is [ i ] in the public square!”
14 As the door turns on its hinges,
So does a ( O ) lazy one on his bed.
15 A ( P ) lazy one buries his hand in the dish;
He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.
16 A lazy one is ( Q ) wiser in his own eyes
Than seven people who can [ j ] give a discreet answer.
17 Like one who takes a dog by the ears,
So is one who passes by and [ k ] meddles with ( R ) strife not belonging to him.
18 Like a maniac who shoots
( S ) Flaming arrows, arrows, and death,
19 So is a person who ( T ) deceives his neighbor,
And says, “ ( U ) Was I not joking?”
20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no ( V ) gossiper, ( W ) quarreling quiets down.
21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a ( X ) contentious person to kindle strife.
22 The ( Y ) words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the [ l ] innermost parts of the body.
23 Like an earthenware ( Z ) vessel overlaid with silver [ m ] ( AA ) impurities
Are burning lips and a wicked heart.
24 One who ( AB ) hates disguises it with his lips,
But he harbors ( AC ) deceit in his [ n ] heart.
25 When [ o ] he ( AD ) speaks graciously, do not believe him,
Because there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 Though his hatred ( AE ) covers itself with deception,
His wickedness will be ( AF ) revealed in the assembly.
27 One who ( AG ) digs a pit will fall into it,
And one who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates [ p ] those it crushes,
And a ( AH ) flattering mouth works ruin.
26 Like snow in summer or rain ( A ) in harvest,
honor is not fitting for a fool. ( B )
2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
an undeserved curse does not come to rest. ( C )
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, ( D )
and a rod for the backs of fools! ( E )
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you yourself will be just like him. ( F )
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes. ( G )
6 Sending a message by the hands of a fool ( H )
is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
7 Like the useless legs of one who is lame
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. ( I )
8 Like tying a stone in a sling
is the giving of honor to a fool. ( J )
9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. ( K )
10 Like an archer who wounds at random
is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit, ( L )
so fools repeat their folly. ( M )
12 Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? ( N )
There is more hope for a fool than for them. ( O )
13 A sluggard says, ( P ) “There’s a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!” ( Q )
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed. ( R )
15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. ( S )
16 A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven people who answer discreetly.
17 Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.
18 Like a maniac shooting
flaming arrows of death
19 is one who deceives their neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”
20 Without wood a fire goes out;
without a gossip a quarrel dies down. ( T )
21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. ( U )
22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts. ( V )
23 Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
are fervent [ a ] lips with an evil heart.
24 Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, ( W )
but in their hearts they harbor deceit. ( X )
25 Though their speech is charming, ( Y ) do not believe them,
for seven abominations fill their hearts. ( Z )
26 Their malice may be concealed by deception,
but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit ( AA ) will fall into it; ( AB )
if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them. ( AC )
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
and a flattering mouth ( AD ) works ruin.
