Proverbs 26

¹As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest,

so honor is not seemly for a fool.

²As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying,

so the curse causeless shall not come.

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

and a rod for the fool's back.

⁴Answer not a fool according to his folly,

lest thou also be like unto him.

⁵Answer 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 drinketh damage.

⁷The legs of the lame are not equal:

so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

⁸As he that bindeth a stone in a sling,

so is he that giveth honor to a fool.

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

so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰The great God that formed all things

both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

¹¹As a dog returneth to his vomit,[#2 Pet 2.22.]

so a fool returneth to his folly.

¹²Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit?

There is more hope of a fool than of him.

¹³The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way;

a lion is in the streets.

¹⁴As the door turneth upon his hinges,

so doth the slothful upon his bed.

¹⁵The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom;

it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

¹⁶The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit

than seven men that can render a reason.

¹⁷He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him,

is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

¹⁸As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,

¹⁹so is the man that deceiveth his neighbor,

and saith, Am not I in sport?

²⁰Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out:

so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

²¹As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire;

so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

²²The words of a talebearer are as wounds,

and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

²³Burning lips and a wicked heart

are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.

²⁴He that hateth dissembleth with his lips,

and layeth up deceit within him;

²⁵when he speaketh fair, believe him not:

for there are seven abominations in his heart.

²⁶Whose hatred is covered by deceit,

his wickedness shall be showed before the whole congregation.

²⁷Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein:

and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

²⁸A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it;

and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.