Proverbs 26-27

English Standard Version

26 Like snow in summer or ^(A)rain in harvest,
    so ^(B)honor is ^(C)not fitting for a fool.
² Like ^(D)a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
    ^(E)a curse that is causeless does not alight.
^3 (F)A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
    and ^(G)a rod for the back of fools.
^4 (H)Answer not a fool according to his folly,
    lest you be like him yourself.
^5 (I)Answer a fool according to his folly,
    lest he be ^(J)wise in his own eyes.
⁶ Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
    cuts off his own feet and ^(K)drinks violence.
⁷ Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless,
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
⁸ Like one who binds the stone in the sling
    is ^(L)one who gives honor to a fool.
⁹ 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.
27 Do not boast about tomorrow,
    ^(AG)for you do not know what a day may bring.
² Let ^(AH)another praise you, and not your own mouth;
    a stranger, and not your own lips.
³ A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,
    but ^(AI)a fool's provocation is heavier than both.
⁴ Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,
    but who can stand before ^(AJ)jealousy?
^5 (AK)Better is open rebuke
    than hidden love.
⁶ Faithful are ^(AL)the wounds of a friend;
    profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
⁷ One who is full loathes ^(AM)honey,
    but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.
⁸ Like ^(AN)a bird that strays from its nest
    is a man who strays from his home.
^9 (AO)Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
    and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.^[c]
10 Do not forsake your friend and ^(AP)your father's friend,
    and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity.
^(AQ)Better is a neighbor who is near
    than a brother who is far away.
^11 (AR)Be wise, ^(AS)my son, and ^(AT)make my heart glad,
    that I may ^(AU)answer him who reproaches me.
^12 (AV)The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
    but ^(AW)the simple go on and suffer for it.
^13 (AX)Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
    and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.^[d]
14 Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,
    rising early in the morning,
    will be counted as cursing.
^15 (AY)A continual dripping on a rainy day
    and a quarrelsome wife are alike;
¹⁶ to restrain her is to restrain the wind
    or to grasp^[e] oil in one's right hand.
¹⁷ Iron sharpens iron,
    and one man sharpens another.^[f]
18 (AZ)Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
    and he who ^(BA)guards his master will be honored.
¹⁹ As in water face reflects face,
    so the heart of man reflects the man.
^20 (BB)Sheol and Abaddon are ^(BC)never satisfied,
    and ^(BD)never satisfied are the eyes of man.
^21 (BE)The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
    and a man is tested by his praise.
^22 (BF)Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
    along with crushed grain,
    yet his folly will not depart from him.