Proverbs 26

Similitudes and Instructions

1 Like snow in summer and like ^arain in harvest,
So honor is not ^bfitting for a fool.
2 Like a ^csparrow in its ▼

▼Lit wandering

flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
So a ^ecurse without cause does not come to rest.
3 A ^fwhip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
And a ^grod for the back of fools.
4 ^hDo not answer a fool ▼

▼I.e., taking his question or argument seriously

according to his foolishness,
Or you will also be like him.
5 ^jAnswer a fool as his foolishness deserves,
So that he will not be ^kwise in his own eyes.
6 One who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Chops off his own feet and drinks violence.
7 Like ▼

▼Lit legs that dangle from one paralyzed

useless legs to one who cannot walk,
So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
8 Like ▼

▼Lit the binding of

one who binds a stone in a sling,
So is one who gives honor to a fool.
9 Like a thorn that ▼

▼Lit goes up

sticks in the hand of a heavy drinker,
So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
10 ▼

▼Or A master workman produces all things, But one who hires a fool is like one who hires those who pass by

Like an archer who wounds everyone,
So is one who hires a fool or hires those who pass by.
11 Like ^pa dog that returns to its vomit,
So is a fool who ^qrepeats ▼

▼Lit with his

his foolishness.
12 Do you see a person ^swise in his own eyes?
^tThere is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 ▼

▼Lit an idle, and so throughout the ch

A ^vlazy one says, “There is a lion on the road!
A lion is ▼

▼Lit within

in the public square!”
14 As the door turns on its hinges,
So does a ^xlazy one on his bed.
15 A ^ylazy one buries his hand in the dish;
He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.
16 A lazy one is ^zwiser in his own eyes
Than seven people who can ▼

▼Lit return discreetly

give a discreet answer.
17 Like one who takes a dog by the ears,
So is one who passes by and ▼

▼Lit infuriates himself

meddles with ^acstrife not belonging to him.
18 Like a maniac who shoots
^adFlaming arrows, arrows, and death,
19 So is a person who ^aedeceives his neighbor,
And says, “ ^afWas I not joking?”
20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no ^aggossiper, ^ahquarreling quiets down.
21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a ^aicontentious person to kindle strife.
22 The ^ajwords of a gossiper are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the ▼

▼Lit chambers of the belly

innermost parts of the body.
23 Like an earthenware ^alvessel overlaid with silver ▼

▼Lit dross

, ^animpurities
Are burning lips and a wicked heart.
24 One who ^aohates disguises it with his lips,
But he harbors ^apdeceit in his ▼

▼Lit inward part

heart.
25 When ▼

▼Lit his voice is gracious

he ^asspeaks graciously, do not believe him,
Because there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 Though his hatred ^atcovers itself with deception,
His wickedness will be ^aurevealed in the assembly.
27 One who ^avdigs a pit will fall into it,
And one who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates ▼

▼Lit its crushed ones

those it crushes,
And a ^axflattering mouth works ruin.