26 Словно летом снег, словно в жатву дождь,
    так и слава не подобает глупцу.
Как упорхнувший воробей, как улетевшая ласточка,
    так и незаслуженное проклятие уйдет в пустоту.
Плеть – для коня, узда – для осла,
    а розга – для спин глупцов!
Не отвечай глупцу по его глупости,
    иначе сам ему уподобляешься.
Отвечай глупцу по его глупости,
    иначе он будет мудрецом в своих глазах.
Что ноги себе отрезать или терпеть насилие –
    посылать известие через глупца.
Неровно ступают ноги хромого,
    так и пословица в устах глупца.
То же, что камень к праще[a] привязывать, –
    глупому почести воздавать.
Как колючая ветка в руке у пьяного,
    так и пословица в устах у глупца.
10 Что лучник, ранящий всех без разбора,
    так и нанимающий глупца или первого встречного[b].
11 Как собака возвращается на свою блевотину,
    так и глупец повторяет свою глупость.
12 Видишь человека, который мнит себя мудрым?
    На глупца больше надежды, чем на него.

13 Лентяй говорит: «На дороге лев!
    Лев бродит на улицах!»
14 Дверь поворачивается на петлях,
    а лентяй ворочается на постели.
15 Запустит лентяй руку в блюдо,
    и уже чересчур утомлен, чтобы до рта донести.
16 Лентяй умнее в своих глазах,
    чем семь человек, отвечающих осмотрительно.

17 Что хватающий за уши пса –
    прохожий, ввязывающийся в чужую ссору.

18 Как безумец, что рассыпает
    горящие стрелы и сеет смерть,
19 так и тот, кто обманывает ближнего
    и говорит: «Я только пошутил».

20 Без дров угасает огонь;
    без сплетен гаснет раздор.
21 Что уголь для жара и дрова для огня,
    то вздорный человек для разжигания ссоры.
22 Слова сплетен – как лакомые куски,
    что проходят вовнутрь чрева.

23 Что глазурь[c], покрывающая глиняный горшок, –
    пламенные уста при злобном сердце.
24 Враг лицемерит в словах,
    а в сердце таит коварство.
25 Пусть его речь приятна – не доверяй ему,
    семь мерзостей у него в сердце;
26 пусть ненависть скрыта притворством,
    на людях злоба врага откроется.
27 Роющий яму, сам в нее упадет;
    на катящего камень скатится камень.
28 Лживый язык ненавидит тех, кого губит;
    льстивые уста готовят крушение.

Footnotes

  1. 26:8 Праща – древнее ручное боевое оружие для метания камней.
  2. 26:10 Смысл этого места в еврейском тексте неясен.
  3. 26:23 Возможный текст; букв.: «низкопробное серебро».

Chapter 26[a]

Like snow in summer, like rain in harvest,
    honor for a fool is out of place.[b]
Like the sparrow in its flitting, like the swallow in its flight,
    a curse uncalled-for never lands.[c]
The whip for the horse, the bridle for the ass,
    and the rod for the back of fools.(A)
[d]Do not answer fools according to their folly,
    lest you too become like them.
Answer fools according to their folly,
    lest they become wise in their own eyes.
Those who send messages by a fool
    cut off their feet; they drink down violence.
[e]A proverb in the mouth of a fool
    hangs limp, like crippled legs.
Giving honor to a fool
    is like entangling a stone in the sling.
A thorn stuck in the hand of a drunkard
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 An archer wounding all who pass by
    is anyone who hires a drunken fool.
11 As dogs return to their vomit,
    so fools repeat their folly.(B)
12 You see those who are wise in their own eyes?
    There is more hope for fools than for them.
13 [f]The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the street,
    a lion in the middle of the square!”(C)
14 The door turns on its hinges
    and sluggards, on their beds.
15 The sluggard buries a hand in the dish,
    too weary to lift it to the mouth.(D)
16 In their own eyes sluggards are wiser
    than seven who answer with good judgment.
17 Whoever meddles in the quarrel of another
    is one who grabs a passing dog by the ears.
18 Like a crazed archer
    scattering firebrands and deadly arrows,
19 Such are those who deceive their neighbor,
    and then say, “I was only joking.”
20 [g]Without wood the fire dies out;
    without a talebearer strife subsides.
21 Charcoal for coals, wood for fire—
    such are the quarrelsome, enkindling strife.(E)
22 The words of a talebearer are like dainty morsels:
    they sink into one’s inmost being.[h](F)
23 Like a glazed finish on earthenware
    are smooth lips and a wicked heart.[i]
24 With their lips enemies pretend,
    but inwardly they maintain deceit;
25 When they speak graciously, do not trust them,(G)
    for seven abominations[j] are in their hearts.
26 Hatred can be concealed by pretense,
    but malice will be revealed in the assembly.[k]
27 Whoever digs a pit falls into it;
    and a stone comes back upon the one who rolls it.(H)
28 The lying tongue is its owner’s enemy,
    and the flattering mouth works ruin.

Footnotes

  1. 26:1–28 Concrete images describe the vices of fools (vv. 1–12), of sluggards (vv. 13–16), of meddlers (vv. 17–19), of talebearers (vv. 20–22), and of flatterers (vv. 23–28).
  2. 26:1 There is no fit (“out of place”) between weather and agricultural season.
  3. 26:2 The point is the similarity of actions: a hovering bird that never lands, a groundless curse that never “lands.” It hangs in the air posing no threat to anyone.
  4. 26:4–5 There is no contradiction between these two proverbs. In their answers, the wise must protect their own interests against fools. Or perhaps the juxtaposition of the two proverbs suggests that no single proverb can resolve every problem in life.
  5. 26:7–9 Fools either abuse or are unable to use whatever knowledge they have. A thorn: a proverb is “words spoken at the proper time” (25:11). Fools have no sense of the right time; their statements are like thorns that fasten on clothing randomly.
  6. 26:13–16 Each verse mentions the sluggard, whom Proverbs regards with derision. The criticism is not against low energy but failure to act and take responsibility. Proverbs’ ideal is the active person who uses heart, lips, hands, feet to keep to the good path. The verses are examples of the sardonic humor of the book.
  7. 26:20–22 The three proverbs have a common theme—the destructive power of slanderous words. Certain words are repeated: wood and fire, talebearer.
  8. 26:22 Malicious gossip is compared to delicious food that is swallowed and lodges in the deepest recesses of one’s body. Negative comments are seldom forgotten. Prv 18:8 is a duplicate.
  9. 26:23 Heart = what is within, and lips (words) = what is expressed, are compared to an earthenware jar covered with glaze.
  10. 26:25 Seven abominations: many evil intentions.
  11. 26:26 Hate may be concealed for a time, but it will eventually issue in a deed and become known in the public assembly. There is a play on words: the consonants of the word “hatred” (ś’n) are literally concealed in the word “pretense” (mś’n).

26 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.

As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.

The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.

As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouths of fools.

10 The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

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

14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

15 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

17 He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

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

19 So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?

20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

23 Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.

24 He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;

25 When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.

26 Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.

27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.

26 Like snow in summer or rain(A) in harvest,
    honor is not fitting for a fool.(B)
Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
    an undeserved curse does not come to rest.(C)
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,(D)
    and a rod for the backs of fools!(E)
Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
    or you yourself will be just like him.(F)
Answer a fool according to his folly,
    or he will be wise in his own eyes.(G)
Sending a message by the hands of a fool(H)
    is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
Like the useless legs of one who is lame
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(I)
Like tying a stone in a sling
    is the giving of honor to a fool.(J)
Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(K)
10 Like an archer who wounds at random
    is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit,(L)
    so fools repeat their folly.(M)
12 Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?(N)
    There is more hope for a fool than for them.(O)

13 A sluggard says,(P) “There’s a lion in the road,
    a fierce lion roaming the streets!”(Q)
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
    so a sluggard turns on his bed.(R)
15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.(S)
16 A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
    than seven people who answer discreetly.

17 Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
    is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.

18 Like a maniac shooting
    flaming arrows of death
19 is one who deceives their neighbor
    and says, “I was only joking!”

20 Without wood a fire goes out;
    without a gossip a quarrel dies down.(T)
21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
    so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.(U)
22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
    they go down to the inmost parts.(V)

23 Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
    are fervent[a] lips with an evil heart.
24 Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,(W)
    but in their hearts they harbor deceit.(X)
25 Though their speech is charming,(Y) do not believe them,
    for seven abominations fill their hearts.(Z)
26 Their malice may be concealed by deception,
    but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit(AA) will fall into it;(AB)
    if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.(AC)
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
    and a flattering mouth(AD) works ruin.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:23 Hebrew; Septuagint smooth