26 愚人得尊榮本不合宜,
    如夏天降雪、收割時下雨。
麻雀翻飛,燕子翱翔,
    咒詛不會無端降臨。
鞭子打馬,韁繩勒驢,
    棍棒責打愚人的背。
別照愚人的愚昧回答他,
    免得你像他一樣。
要照愚人的愚昧回答他,
    免得他自以為有智慧。
靠愚人傳信,
    如同砍斷自己的腳,
    自討苦吃。
愚人口中說箴言,
    如同跛子空有腿。
把尊榮給愚人,
    就像把石子綁在甩石器上。
愚人口中說箴言,
    如同醉漢握荊棘。
10 雇用愚人或路人,
    如同弓箭手亂箭傷人。
11 愚人一再重複愚昧事,
    就像狗回頭吃所吐的。
12 自以為有智慧的人,
    還不如愚人有希望。
13 懶惰人說:「路上有獅子,
    街上有猛獅。」
14 懶惰人賴在床上滾來滾去,
    就像門在門軸上轉來轉去。
15 懶惰人手放在餐盤,
    卻懶得送食物進嘴。
16 懶惰人自以為比七個善於應對的人更有智慧。
17 插手他人的糾紛,
    猶如揪狗的耳朵。
18-19 欺騙鄰舍還說是開玩笑,
    如同瘋子亂拋火把、亂射箭。
20 沒有木柴,火自然熄滅;
    沒有閒話,爭端便平息。
21 好鬥之人煽動爭端,
    如同餘火加炭、火上加柴。
22 閒言閒語如可口的美食,
    輕易進入人的五臟六腑。
23 火熱的嘴,邪惡的心,
    猶如瓦器鍍了層銀。
24 怨恨人的用美言掩飾自己,
    心中卻藏著詭詐。
25 縱然他甜言蜜語,你也不可信他,
    因為他心中充滿各種可憎之事。
26 雖然他用詭計掩飾怨恨,
    他的邪惡必被會眾揭穿。
27 挖陷阱的,必自陷其中;
    滾石頭的,必自傷己身。
28 撒謊的舌恨它所害的人,
    諂媚的嘴帶來毀滅。

26 Ang papuri'y di angkop sa taong mangmang, parang ulan ng yelo sa tag-araw o panahon ng anihan.

Ang sumpang di nararapat ay hindi tatalab, tulad lang ito ng ibong di dumadapo at lilipad-lipad.

Ang latigo'y para sa kabayo, ang bokado'y para sa asno, ang pamalo naman ay sa mangmang na tao.

Huwag mong papatulan ang isang mangmang at baka lumabas na higit ka pang mangmang.

Sagutin mo ang mangmang ayon sa kanyang kahangalan, upang hindi niya isipin na siya'y may katuwiran.

Ang magpadala ng balita sa mangmang ay napakadelikado, para mo na ring tinaga ang mga paa mo.

Kung ang paang pilay ay walang kabuluhan, ganoon din ang kawikaan sa bibig ng mangmang.

Ang isang papuring sa mangmang iniukol ay parang batong nakatali sa balat ng tirador.

Ang isang kawikaan sa bibig ng mangmang, ay tulad ng tinik sa kamay ng lasing.

10 Tulad ng isang namamana ng kahit na sino ang isang taong umupa ng mangmang o lasenggo.

11 Ang(A) taong nananatili sa kanyang kahangalan ay tulad ng aso, ang sariling suka ay binabalikan nito.

12 Nakakita na ba kayo ng taong nag-aakalang siya ang pinakamatalino? Mas may pag-asa pa ang mangmang kaysa taong ito.

13 Ano ang idinadahilan ng taong batugan? “May leon sa daan, may leon sa lansangan.”

14 Kung paano lumalapat ang pinto sa hamba, ang batugan naman ay sa kanyang kama.

15 Ang kamay ng tamad ay nadidikit sa pinggan, ni hindi mailapit sa bibig dahil sa katamaran.

16 Ang palagay ng tamad, siya ay mas marunong kaysa pitong taong wasto kung tumugon.

17 Ang nakikisali sa gulo ng may gulo ay tulad ng taong dumadakma sa tainga ng aso.

18-19 Ang taong nandaraya saka sasabihing nagbibiro lang ay tulad ng baliw na naglalaro ng sandatang nakamamatay.

20 Namamatay ang apoy kung ubos na ang kahoy; nahihinto ang away kapag walang nanunulsol.

21 Kung ang baga'y nagdidikit dahil sa pag-ihip, at nagliliyab ang apoy kung maraming gatong, patuloy ang labu-labo kung maraming mapanggulo.

22 Ang tsismis ay tulad ng masarap na pagkain; masarap pakinggan, masarap namnamin.

23 Ang matamis ngunit pakunwaring salita ay parang pintura ng mumurahing banga.

24 Ang tunay na damdamin ng mapagkunwari ay maitatago sa salitang mainam. 25 Matamis pakinggan ngunit huwag paniwalaan sapagkat iyon ay bunga ng kanyang pagkasuklam. 26 Maaaring ang galit niya'y maitago sa magandang paraan ngunit nalalantad din sa mata ng lahat.

27 Ang(B) nag-uumang ng bitag ay siya ring mahuhuli roon. Ang nagpapagulong ng bato ang siyang tatamaan niyon.

28 Ang taong sinungaling ay galit sa kapwa. Ang madayang salita ay nagpapahamak sa iba.

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

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.