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箴言雜記

26 夏天落雪,收割時下雨,都不相宜,愚昧人得尊榮,也是如此。 麻雀往來,燕子翻飛,這樣,無故的咒詛也必不臨到。 鞭子是為打馬,轡頭是為勒驢,刑杖是為打愚昧人的背。 不要照愚昧人的愚妄話回答他,恐怕你與他一樣。 要照愚昧人的愚妄話回答他,免得他自以為有智慧。 藉愚昧人手寄信的,是砍斷自己的腳,自受[a]損害。 瘸子的腳空存無用,箴言在愚昧人的口中也是如此。 將尊榮給愚昧人的,好像人把石子包在機弦裡。 箴言在愚昧人的口中,好像荊棘刺入醉漢的手。 10 雇愚昧人的與雇過路人的,就像射傷眾人的弓箭手。 11 愚昧人行愚妄事,行了又行,就如狗轉過來吃他所吐的。 12 你見自以為有智慧的人嗎?愚昧人比他更有指望。 13 懶惰人說:「道上有猛獅!街上有壯獅!」 14 門在樞紐轉動,懶惰人在床上也是如此。 15 懶惰人放手在盤子裡,就是向口撤回,也以為勞乏。 16 懶惰人看自己比七個善於應對的人更有智慧。 17 過路被事激動,管理不干己的爭競,好像人揪住狗耳。 18 人欺凌鄰舍,卻說:「我豈不是戲耍嗎?」他就像瘋狂的人拋擲火把、利箭與殺人的兵器[b] 20 火缺了柴就必熄滅,無人傳舌,爭競便止息。 21 好爭競的人煽惑爭端,就如餘火加炭,火上加柴一樣。 22 傳舌人的言語如同美食,深入人的心腹。 23 火熱的嘴奸惡的心,好像銀渣包的瓦器。 24 怨恨人的用嘴粉飾,心裡卻藏著詭詐。 25 他用甜言蜜語,你不可信他,因為他心中有七樣可憎惡的。 26 他雖用詭詐遮掩自己的怨恨,他的邪惡必在會中顯露。 27 挖陷坑的,自己必掉在其中;滾石頭的,石頭必反滾在他身上。 28 虛謊的舌恨他所壓傷的人,諂媚的口敗壞人的事。

Footnotes

  1. 箴言 26:6 「自受」原文作「喝」。
  2. 箴言 26:18 「殺人的兵器」原文作「死亡」。

26 Like snow in summer or (A)rain in harvest,
    so (B)honor is (C)not fitting for a fool.
Like (D)a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
    (E)a curse that is causeless does not alight.
(F)A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
    and (G)a rod for the back of fools.
(H)Answer not a fool according to his folly,
    lest you be like him yourself.
(I)Answer a fool according to his folly,
    lest he be (J)wise in his own eyes.
Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
    cuts off his own feet and (K)drinks violence.
Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless,
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
Like one who binds the stone in the sling
    is (L)one who gives honor to a fool.
Like (M)a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 Like an archer who wounds everyone
    is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.[a]
11 Like (N)a dog that returns to his vomit
    is (O)a fool who repeats his folly.
12 Do you see a man who is (P)wise in his own eyes?
    (Q)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 (R)The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!
    There is a lion in the streets!”
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
    so does a sluggard on his bed.
15 (S)The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
16 The sluggard is (T)wiser in his own eyes
    (U)than seven men who can answer sensibly.
17 Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own
    is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
18 Like a madman who throws (V)firebrands, arrows, and death
19 is the man who deceives his neighbor
    and says, “I am only joking!”
20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
    and where there is no (W)whisperer, (X)quarreling ceases.
21 As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
    so is (Y)a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
22 (Z)The words of (AA)a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
    they go down into the inner parts of the body.
23 (AB)Like the (AC)glaze[b] covering an earthen vessel
    are fervent lips with an evil heart.
24 Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips
    and harbors deceit in his heart;
25 (AD)when he speaks graciously, believe him not,
    for there are (AE)seven abominations in his heart;
26 though his hatred be covered with deception,
    his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 (AF)Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
    and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.
28 A lying tongue hates its victims,
    and a flattering mouth works ruin.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:10 Or hires a fool or passersby
  2. Proverbs 26:23 By revocalization; Hebrew silver of dross

Don't Be a Fool

26 Expecting snow in summer
    and rain in the dry season
makes more sense
    than honoring a fool.
A curse you don't deserve
will take wings and fly away
    like a sparrow or a swallow.
Horses and donkeys
must be beaten and bridled—
    and so must fools.
Don't make a fool of yourself
    by answering a fool.
But if you answer any fools,
show how foolish they are,
    so they won't feel smart.

Sending a message by a fool
is like chopping off your foot
    just to spite yourself.
A fool with words of wisdom
is like an athlete
    with legs that can't move.[a]
Are you going to honor a fool?
Why not shoot a slingshot
    with the rock tied tight?
A thornbush waved around
    in the hand of a drunkard
is no worse than a proverb
    in the mouth of a fool.

10 It's no smarter to shoot arrows
    at every passerby
than it is to hire a bunch
    of worthless nobodies.[b]
11 (A) Dogs return to eat their vomit,
just as fools repeat
    their foolishness.
12 There is more hope for a fool
than for someone who says,
    “I'm really smart!”

13 Don't be lazy and keep saying,
    “There's a lion outside!”
14 A door turns on its hinges,
but a lazy person
    just turns over in bed.
15 Some of us are so lazy
that we won't lift a hand
    to feed ourselves.
16 A lazy person says,
“I am smarter
    than everyone else.”

17 It's better to take hold
    of a mad dog by the ears
than to take part
    in someone else's argument.
18 It's no crazier to shoot
    sharp and flaming arrows
19 than to cheat someone and say,
    “I was only fooling!”

20 Where there is no fuel
    a fire goes out;
where there is no gossip
    arguments come to an end.
21 Troublemakers start trouble,
just as sparks and fuel
    start a fire.
22 There is nothing so delicious
as the taste of gossip!
    It melts in your mouth.

23 Hiding hateful thoughts
    behind smooth[c] talk
is like coating a clay pot
    with a cheap glaze.
24 The pleasant talk
    of an enemy
hides more evil plans
25 than can be counted—
    so don't believe a word!
26 Everyone will see through
    those evil plans.
27 (B) If you dig a pit,
    you will fall in;
if you start a stone rolling,
    it will roll back on you.
28 Watch out for anyone
who tells lies and flatters—
    they are out to get you.

Footnotes

  1. 26.7 with … move: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  2. 26.10 nobodies: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
  3. 26.23 smooth: One ancient translation; Hebrew “hateful.”

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