Proverbs 26

26Like snow in summer or rain^v in harvest,

honor is not fitting for a fool.^w

²Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,

an undeserved curse does not come to rest.^x

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

and a rod for the backs of fools!^z

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

or you yourself will be just like him.^a

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly,

or he will be wise in his own eyes.^b

⁶Sending a message by the hands of a fool^c

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

⁷Like the useless legs of one who is lame

is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.^d

⁸Like tying a stone in a sling

is the giving of honor to a fool.^e

⁹Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand

is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.^f

¹⁰Like an archer who wounds at random

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

¹¹As a dog returns to its vomit,^g

so fools repeat their folly.^h

¹²Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?ⁱ

There is more hope for a fool than for them.^j

¹³A sluggard says,^k “There’s a lion in the road,

a fierce lion roaming the streets!”^l

¹⁴As a door turns on its hinges,

so a sluggard turns on his bed.^m

¹⁵A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;

he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.ⁿ

¹⁶A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes

than seven people who answer discreetly.

¹⁷Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears

is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.

¹⁸Like a maniac shooting

flaming arrows of death

¹⁹is one who deceives their neighbor

and says, “I was only joking!”

²⁰Without wood a fire goes out;

without a gossip a quarrel dies down.^o

²¹As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,

so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.^p

²²The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;

they go down to the inmost parts.^q

²³Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware

are fervent^a lips with an evil heart.

²⁴Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,^r

but in their hearts they harbor deceit.^s

²⁵Though their speech is charming,^t do not believe them,

for seven abominations fill their hearts.^u

²⁶Their malice may be concealed by deception,

but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

²⁷Whoever digs a pit^v will fall into it;^w

if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.^x

²⁸A lying tongue hates those it hurts,

and a flattering mouth^y works ruin.