Proverbs 26-28

New American Standard Bible

26 Like snow in summer and like ^(A)rain in harvest,
So honor is not ^(B)fitting for a fool.
² Like a ^(C)sparrow in its ^[a]flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
So a ^(D)curse without cause does not come to rest.
³ A ^(E)whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
And a ^(F)rod for the back of fools.
^4 (G)Do not answer a fool ^[b]according to his foolishness,
Or you will also be like him.
^5 (H)Answer a fool as his foolishness deserves,
So that he will not be ^(I)wise 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 ^[c]useless legs to one who cannot walk,
So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
⁸ Like ^[d]one who binds a stone in a sling,
So is one who gives honor to a fool.
⁹ Like a thorn that ^[e]sticks in the hand of a heavy drinker,
So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
^10 [f]Like an archer who wounds everyone,
So is one who hires a fool or hires those who pass by.
¹¹ Like ^(J)a dog that returns to its vomit,
So is a fool who ^(K)repeats ^[g]his foolishness.
¹² Do you see a person ^(L)wise in his own eyes?
^(M)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
^13 [h]A ^(N)lazy one says, “There is a lion on the road!
A lion is ^[i]in the public square!”
¹⁴ As the door turns on its hinges,
So does a ^(O)lazy one on his bed.
¹⁵ A ^(P)lazy one buries his hand in the dish;
He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.
¹⁶ A lazy one is ^(Q)wiser in his own eyes
Than seven people who can ^[j]give a discreet answer.
¹⁷ Like one who takes a dog by the ears,
So is one who passes by and ^[k]meddles with ^(R)strife not belonging to him.
¹⁸ Like a maniac who shoots
^(S)Flaming arrows, arrows, and death,
¹⁹ So is a person who ^(T)deceives his neighbor,
And says, “^(U)Was I not joking?”
²⁰ For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no ^(V)gossiper, ^(W)quarreling quiets down.
²¹ Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a ^(X)contentious person to kindle strife.
²² The ^(Y)words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the ^[l]innermost parts of the body.
²³ Like an earthenware ^(Z)vessel overlaid with silver ^[m](AA)impurities
Are burning lips and a wicked heart.
²⁴ One who ^(AB)hates disguises it with his lips,
But he harbors ^(AC)deceit in his ^[n]heart.
²⁵ When ^[o]he ^(AD)speaks graciously, do not believe him,
Because there are seven abominations in his heart.
²⁶ Though his hatred ^(AE)covers itself with deception,
His wickedness will be ^(AF)revealed in the assembly.
²⁷ One who ^(AG)digs a pit will fall into it,
And one who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
²⁸ A lying tongue hates ^[p]those it crushes,
And a ^(AH)flattering mouth works ruin.

27 ^(AI)Do not boast about tomorrow,
For you ^(AJ)do not know what a day may bring.
² Let ^(AK)another praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.
³ A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,
But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.
⁴ Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood,
But ^(AL)who can stand before jealousy?
⁵ Better is ^(AM)open rebuke
Than love that is concealed.
⁶ Faithful are the ^(AN)wounds of a friend,
But ^[q]deceitful are the ^(AO)kisses of an enemy.
⁷ A satisfied ^[r]person ^[s]despises honey,
But to a hungry ^[t]person any bitter thing is sweet.
⁸ Like a ^(AP)bird that wanders from its nest,
So is a person who ^(AQ)wanders from his ^[u]home.
^9 (AR)Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
And a ^[v]person’s advice is sweet to his friend.
¹⁰ Do not abandon your ^(AS)friend or ^(AT)your father’s friend,
And do not go to your brother’s house on the day of your disaster;
Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.
^11 (AU)Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,
So that I may ^(AV)reply to one who taunts me.
¹² A prudent person sees evil and hides himself;
But the naive proceed, and pay the penalty.
^13 (AW)Take his garment when he becomes a guarantor for a stranger;
And for a foreign woman seize a pledge from him.
^14 (AX)One who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning,
It will be considered a curse to him.
¹⁵ A ^(AY)constant dripping on a day of steady rain
And a contentious woman are alike;
¹⁶ He who would ^[w]restrain her ^[x]restrains the wind,
And ^[y]grasps oil with his right hand.
¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron,
So one person sharpens another.
¹⁸ One who tends the ^(AZ)fig tree will eat its fruit,
And one who ^(BA)cares for his master will be honored.
¹⁹ As in water a face reflects the face,
So the heart of a person reflects the person.
^20 [z](BB)Sheol and ^[aa]Abaddon are ^(BC)never satisfied,
Nor are the ^(BD)eyes of a person ever satisfied.
²¹ The ^(BE)crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold,
And each ^(BF)is tested by the praise accorded him.
²² Though you ^(BG)pound the fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,
His foolishness still will not leave him.

28 The wicked ^(BK)flee when no one is pursuing,
But the righteous are ^[ac]bold as a lion.
² Due to a ^[ad]wrongdoing of ^[ae]a land its leaders are ^(BL)many,
But ^(BM)by a person of understanding and knowledge, so it endures.
³ A ^(BN)poor man who oppresses the helpless
Is like a driving rain ^[af]which leaves no food.
⁴ Those who abandon the Law ^(BO)praise the wicked,
But those who keep the Law ^(BP)strive against them.
⁵ Evil people ^(BQ)do not understand justice,
But those who seek the Lord ^(BR)understand everything.
^6 (BS)Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity,
Than a person who is ^[ag]crooked, though he is rich.
⁷ He who keeps the Law is a discerning son,
But he who is a companion of ^(BT)gluttons humiliates his father.
⁸ One who increases his wealth by ^[ah](BU)interest of any kind,
Collects it ^(BV)for one who is gracious to the poor.
⁹ One who turns his ear away from listening to the Law,
Even his ^(BW)prayer is an abomination.
¹⁰ One who leads the upright astray in an evil way
Will ^(BX)himself fall into his own pit,
But the ^(BY)blameless will inherit good.
¹¹ The rich person is ^(BZ)wise in his own eyes,
But the poor who has understanding ^[ai]sees through him.
¹² When the ^(CA)righteous triumph, there is great glory,
But ^(CB)when the wicked rise, people ^[aj]hide themselves.
¹³ One who ^(CC)conceals his wrongdoings will not prosper,
But one who ^(CD)confesses and abandons them will find compassion.
¹⁴ How blessed is the person who ^(CE)fears always,
But one who ^(CF)hardens his heart will fall into disaster.
¹⁵ Like a ^(CG)roaring lion and a rushing bear
Is a ^(CH)wicked ruler over a poor people.
¹⁶ A ^(CI)leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding,
But a person who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
¹⁷ A person who is ^(CJ)burdened with the guilt of human blood
Will ^[ak]be a fugitive until death; no one is to support him!
¹⁸ One who walks blamelessly will receive help,
But one who is ^[al](CK)crooked will fall all at once.
^19 (CL)One who works his land will ^(CM)have plenty of food,
But one who follows empty pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
²⁰ A ^(CN)faithful person will abound with blessings,
But one who ^(CO)hurries to be rich will not go unpunished.
²¹ To ^[am](CP)show partiality is not good,
^(CQ)Because for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.
²² A person with an ^(CR)evil eye ^(CS)hurries after wealth
And does not know that poverty will come upon him.
²³ One who ^(CT)rebukes a person will afterward find more favor
Than one who ^(CU)flatters with the tongue.
²⁴ He who ^(CV)robs his father or his mother
And says, “There is no wrong done,”
Is the ^(CW)companion of a person who destroys.
²⁵ An ^[an]arrogant person ^(CX)stirs up strife,
But one who ^(CY)trusts in the Lord ^(CZ)will ^[ao]prosper.
²⁶ One who ^(DA)trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But one who walks wisely will flee to safety.
²⁷ One who ^(DB)gives to the poor will never lack anything,
But one who ^[ap]shuts his eyes will have many curses.
²⁸ When the wicked rise, people hide themselves;
But when they perish, the righteous increase.