Proverbs 26

¹Like snow in summer or rain at harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.

²Like a fluttering sparrow or a flying swallow, so an undeserved curse does not land.

³A whip for a horse, a bridle for a donkey, and a rod for the back of fools.

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly, else you also will be like him.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, else he will be wise in his own eyes.

⁶Like cutting off one’s feet or drinking violence is sending a message by a fool’s hand.

⁷Like a lame man’s legs that hang limp, so is a proverb in a fool’s mouth.

⁸Like tying a stone into a sling, so is giving honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thorn bush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in a fool’s mouth.

¹⁰Like an archer who wounds at random is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.

¹¹Like a dog that returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

¹²Do you see one wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than him.

¹³A slacker says, “There’s a lion on the road! A lion is in the streets!”

¹⁴As a door turns on its hinges so a slacker turns on his bed.

¹⁵The slacker plunges his hand in the dish— he is too tired to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁶A slacker is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer sensibly.

¹⁷Like one who takes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.

¹⁸Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows

¹⁹so is one who deceives his friend, and says, “I was only joking.”

²⁰Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip quarrels cease.

²¹As coals are to embers and wood to fire, so is a contentious person to kindling strife.

²²A gossip’s words are like tasty morsels— they slide down into the innermost parts of the body.

²³Like silver glaze overlaying earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.

²⁴One who hates, disguises it with his lips, but he stores up deceit within him.

²⁵When he speaks favorably, do not believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.

²⁶Though his hatred may be concealed by deceit, his evil will be exposed before the assembly.

²⁷Whoever digs a pit will fall in it, and whoever rolls a stone— it will come back upon him.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those crushed by it, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.