Proverbs 26

Chapter 26

Similitudes, Instructions

¹Like snow in summer and like ^arain in harvest,

So honor is not ^bfitting for a fool.

²Like a ^asparrow in its ¹flitting, like a swallow in its flying,

So a ^bcurse without cause does not ²alight.

³A ^awhip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

And a ^brod for the back of fools.

^4aDo not answer a fool according to his folly,

Or you will also be like him.

^5aAnswer a fool as his folly deserves,

That he not be ^bwise in his own eyes.

⁶He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence

Who sends a message by the hand of a fool.

⁷Like the legs which ¹are useless to the lame,

So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

⁸Like ¹one who binds a stone in a sling,

So is he who gives honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thorn which ¹falls into the hand of a drunkard,

So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰¹Like an archer who wounds everyone,

So is he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by.

¹¹Like ^aa dog that returns to its vomit

Is a fool who ^brepeats ¹his folly.

¹²Do you see a man ^awise in his own eyes?

^bThere is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³The ^asluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!

A lion is ¹in the open square!”

¹⁴As the door turns on its hinges,

So does the ^asluggard on his bed.

¹⁵The ^asluggard buries his hand in the dish;

He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.

¹⁶The sluggard is ^awiser in his own eyes

Than seven men who can ¹give a discreet answer.

¹⁷Like one who takes a dog by the ears

Is he who passes by and ¹meddles with ^astrife not belonging to him.

¹⁸Like a madman who throws

^aFirebrands, arrows and death,

¹⁹So is the man who ^adeceives his neighbor,

And says, “^bWas I not joking?”

²⁰For lack of wood the fire goes out,

And where there is no ^awhisperer, ^bcontention quiets down.

²¹Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,

So is a ^acontentious man to kindle strife.

²²The ^awords of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,

And they go down into the ¹innermost parts of the body.

²³Like an earthen ^avessel overlaid with silver ^bdross

Are burning lips and a wicked heart.

²⁴He who ^ahates disguises it with his lips,

But he lays up ^bdeceit in his ¹heart.

²⁵When ¹he ^aspeaks graciously, do not believe him,

For there are seven abominations in his heart.

²⁶Though his hatred ^acovers itself with guile,

His wickedness will be ^brevealed before the assembly.

²⁷He who ^adigs a pit will fall into it,

And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.

²⁸A lying tongue hates ¹those it crushes,

And a ^aflattering mouth works ruin.