Proverbs 26

26Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, ^m

honor is inappropriate for a fool. ⁿ

²Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow, ^o

an undeserved curse goes nowhere. ^p

³A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, ^q

and a rod for the backs of fools. ^r

⁴Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness ^s

or you’ll be like him yourself.

⁵Answer a fool according to his foolishness ^t

or he’ll become wise in his own eyes. ^u

⁶The one who sends a message by a fool’s hand ^v

cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. ^w

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. ^x

⁹A proverb in the mouth of a fool

is like a stick with thorns,

brandished by ^ythe hand of a drunkard.

¹⁰The one who hires a fool or who hires those passing by

is like an archer who wounds everyone.

¹¹As a dog returns to its vomit,

so a fool repeats his foolishness. ^z

¹²Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? ^a

There is more hope for a fool than for him. ^b

¹³The slacker says, “There’s a lion in the road—

a lion in the public square!” ^c

¹⁴A door turns on its hinges,

and a slacker, on his bed. ^d

¹⁵The slacker buries his hand in the bowl;

he is too weary to bring it to his mouth. ^e

¹⁶In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser ^f

than seven men 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, ^g

¹⁹so is the man who deceives his neighbor

and says, “I was only joking!”

²⁰Without wood, fire goes out;

without a gossip, conflict dies down. ^h

²¹As charcoal for embers and wood for fire,

so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. ⁱ

²²A gossip’s words are like choice food

that goes down to one’s innermost being. ^jk

²³Smooth ^llips with an evil heart

are like glaze on an earthen vessel. ^m

²⁴A hateful person disguises himself with his speech

and harbors deceit within.

²⁵When he speaks graciously, don’t believe him,

for there are seven abominations in his heart. ⁿ

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. ^o

²⁸A lying tongue hates those it crushes,

and a flattering mouth causes ruin.