Logos Bible Study

Proverbs 26:1–12

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As snow in summer, and aas rain in harvest,

bSo honour is not cseemly for a fool.

2As the dbird by wandering, as the dswallow by flying,

So ethe curse causeless shall not come.

3fA whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass,

And ga rod for the fool’s back.

4hAnswer not a fool according to his folly,

Lest thou also be like unto him.

5iAnswer a fool according to his folly,

Lest he be wise in †his own conceit.

6He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool

Cutteth off the feet, and kdrinketh ||damage.

7The legs of the lame †are not equal:

So is a lparable in the mouth of fools.

8||As he that bindeth a stone in a sling,

bSo is he that giveth honour to a fool.

9As ma thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard,

So is a lparable in the mouth of fools.

10||The great God that nformed all things

Both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

11As pa dog returneth to his vomit,

So qa fool †returneth to his folly.

12rSeest thou a man wise in his own conceit?

sThere is more hope of a fool than of him.

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Footnotes

  1. bSo ver. 8. Comp. ch. 19:10.
  2. cSee ch. 17:7.
  3. dPs. 84:3 (Heb.). ch. 27:8.
  4. dPs. 84:3 (Heb.). ch. 27:8.
  5. eNum. 23:8. Deut. 23:5. 2 Sam. 16:12. Comp. ch. 30:10.
  6. gSee ch. 19:29.
  7. †Heb. his own eyes. ver. 16. ch. 28:11.
  8. kComp. Job 15:16. ch. 13:2.
  9. ||Or, violence. ch. 10:6, 11, &c.
  10. †Heb. are lifted up. Ps. 30:1.
  11. lEcclus. 15:9 marg. See ch. 1:1.
  12. ||Or, As he that putteth a precious stone in a heap of stones. Comp. 2 Sam. 18:17.
  13. bSo ver. 8. Comp. ch. 19:10.
  14. mComp. ch. 23:35.
  15. lEcclus. 15:9 marg. See ch. 1:1.
  16. ||Or, A great man o grieveth all, And he hireth the fool, he hireth also transgressors.
  17. nSee ch. 25:23.
  18. pCited 2 Pet. 2:22.
  19. qComp. Ex. 8:15.
  20. †Heb. iterateth his folly. 2 Sam. 20:10 marg. 1 Kin. 18:34 in the Heb.
  21. rSo ch. 22:29. & 29:20. See ch. 12:15.
  22. sch. 29:20.

Cross references

  1. a1 Sam. 12:17.
  2. fPs. 32:9.
  3. h2 Sam. 16:11. 2 Kin. 18:36.
  4. iMatt. 16:1–4. & 21:24–27. & 23:16–22, 25, 26.

Public Domain

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,

so honor is not fitting for a fool.

Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,

a curse that is causeless does not alight.

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

and a rod for the back of fools.

Answer not a fool according to his folly,

lest you be like him yourself.

Answer a fool according to his folly,

lest he be wise in his own eyes.

Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool

cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless,

is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Like one who binds the stone in the sling

is one who gives honor to a fool.

Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard

is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Like an archer who wounds everyone

is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.

Like a dog that returns to his vomit

is a fool who repeats his folly.

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

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,

honor is not fitting for a fool.

Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,

an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

and a rod for the backs of fools!

Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

or you yourself will be just like him.

Answer a fool according to his folly,

or he will be wise in his own eyes.

Sending a message by the hands of a fool

is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.

Like the useless legs of one who is lame

is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

Like tying a stone in a sling

is the giving of honor to a fool.

Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand

is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

Like an archer who wounds at random

is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.

As a dog returns to its vomit,

so fools repeat their folly.

Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for them.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Like snow in summer and rain at harvest,

honor is inappropriate for a fool.

Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow,

an undeserved curse goes nowhere.

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

and a rod for the backs of fools.

Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness

or you’ll be like him yourself.

Answer a fool according to his foolishness

or he’ll become wise in his own eyes.

The one who sends a message by a fool’s hand

cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

A proverb in the mouth of a fool

is like lame legs that hang limp.

Giving honor to a fool

is like binding a stone in a sling.

A proverb in the mouth of a fool

is like a stick with thorns,

brandished by the hand of a drunkard.

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

is like an archer who wounds everyone indiscriminately.

As a dog returns to its vomit,

so also a fool repeats his foolishness.

Do you see a person who is wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

Honor is no more associated with fools

than snow with summer or rain with harvest.

Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,

an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim.

Guide a horse with a whip, a donkey with a bridle,

and a fool with a rod to his back!

Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools,

or you will become as foolish as they are.

Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools,

or they will become wise in their own estimation.

Trusting a fool to convey a message

is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison!

A proverb in the mouth of a fool

is as useless as a paralyzed leg.

Honoring a fool

is as foolish as tying a stone to a slingshot.

A proverb in the mouth of a fool

is like a thorny branch brandished by a drunk.

An employer who hires a fool or a bystander

is like an archer who shoots at random.

As a dog returns to its vomit,

so a fool repeats his foolishness.

There is more hope for fools

than for people who think they are wise.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Like snow in the summer and like rain at the harvest,

so honor is not fitting for a fool.

Like the sparrow is to fluttering and like the swallow is to flying,

so an undeserved curse does not go forth.

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

and a rod for the back of fools.

Do not answer a fool according to his folly

lest you become like him—even you.

Answer a fool according to his folly,

or else he will be wise in his own eyes.

Like cutting off feet or drinking violence,

so is he who sends messages in the hand of a fool.

Like legs that hang limp from a lame person,

so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Like binding a stone in a sling,

so is giving honor to a fool.

Like a thorn that goes up in the hand of a drunkard,

so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Like an archer who wounds everyone,

so is he who hires a fool or he who hires passersby.

Like a dog returning to his vomit

is a fool reverting to his folly.

Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press