Proverbs 26

1  Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
so honor is not fitting for a fool.
2  Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
a curse that is causeless does not alight.
3  A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the back of fools.
4  Answer not a fool according to his folly,
lest you be like him yourself.
5  Answer a fool according to his folly,
lest he be wise in his own eyes.
6  Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
7  Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless,
is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8  Like one who binds the stone in the sling
is one who gives honor to a fool.
9  Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard
is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10  Like an archer who wounds everyone
is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.t
11  Like a dog that returns to his vomit
is a fool who repeats his folly.
12  Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13  The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road!
There is a lion in the streets!"
14  As a door turns on its hinges,
so does a sluggard on his bed.
15  The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
16  The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven men who can answer sensibly.
17  Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own
is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
18  Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death
19  is the man who deceives his neighbor
and says, "I am only joking!"
20  For lack of wood the fire goes out,
and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.
21  As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
22  The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
they go down into the inner parts of the body.
23  Like the glazet covering an earthen vessel
are fervent lips with an evil heart.
24  Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips
and harbors deceit in his heart;
25  when he speaks graciously, believe him not,
for there are seven abominations in his heart;
26  though his hatred be covered with deception,
his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27  Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.
28  A lying tongue hates its victims,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.

Proverbs 26

Don't be a fool

1 Expecting snow in summer
and rain in the dry season
makes more sense
than honouring a fool.

2 A curse you don't deserve
will take wings and fly away
like a sparrow or a swallow.

3 Horses and donkeys
must be beaten and bridled—
and so must fools.

4 Don't make a fool of yourself
by answering a fool.

5 But if you answer any fools,
show how foolish they are,
so they won't feel clever.

6 Sending a message by a fool
is like chopping off your foot
and drinking poison.

7 A fool with words of wisdom
is like an athlete
with legs that can't move.t

8 Are you going to honour a fool?
Why not shoot a slingshot
with the stone tied tight?

9 A thorn bush waved around
in the hand of a drunkard
is no worse than a proverb
in the mouth of a fool.

10 It's no cleverer to shoot arrows
at every passer-by
than it is to hire a bunch
of worthless nobodies.t

11 Dogs return to eat their vomit,t
just as fools repeat
their foolishness.

12 There is more hope for a fool
than for someone who says,
“I'm really clever!”

13 Don't be lazy and keep saying,
“There's a lion outside!”

14 A door turns on its hinges,
but a lazy person
just turns over in bed.

15 Some of us are so lazy
that we won't lift a hand
to feed ourselves.

16 A lazy person says,
“I am cleverer
than everyone else.”

17 It's better to take hold
of a mad dog by the ears
than to take part
in someone else's argument.

18 It's no crazier to shoot
sharp and flaming arrows

19 than to cheat someone and say,
“I was only fooling!”

20 Where there is no fuel
a fire goes out;
where there is no gossip
arguments come to an end.

21 Troublemakers start trouble,
just as sparks and fuel
start a fire.

22 There is nothing so delicious
as the taste of gossip!
It melts in your mouth.

23 Hiding hateful thoughts
behind smootht talk
is like coating a clay pot
with a cheap glaze.

24 The pleasant talk
of an enemy
hides more evil plans

25 than can be counted—
so don't believe a word!

26 Everyone will see through
those evil plans.

27 If you dig a pit,
you will fall in;
if you start a stone rolling,
it will roll back on you.

28 Watch out for anyone
who tells lies and flatters—
they are out to get you.