Proverbs 26
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.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 26:10 Or hires a fool or passersby
- Proverbs 26:23 By revocalization; Hebrew silver of dross
Proverbs 26
International Standard Version
On Fools
26 Like snowfall in summer or rain at harvest time,
so honor is inappropriate for a fool.
2 Like a fluttering sparrow
or a swallow in flight,
a curse without cause will not alight.
3 A whip is for the horses,
a bridle is for the donkey,
a rod is for the back of fools.
4 Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness,
or you will be just like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his foolishness,
or he will think himself to be wise.
6 Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
cuts off his own[a] feet and drinks violence.
7 Useless legs to the lame—
that’s what a proverb quoted by a fool is.
8 Tying a stone to a sling—
that’s what giving honor to a fool is.
9 A thorn in the hand of a drunkard—
that’s what a proverb quoted by a fool is.
10 An archer who shoots at anyone—
is like someone who hires a fool or anyone who passes by.
11 A dog that returns to its vomit
is like a fool who reverts to his folly.
12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own opinion?
There’s more hope for a fool than for him.
On Laziness
13 The lazy person claims, “There is a lion in the road!
There’s a lion in the streets!”
14 The door turns on its hinges—
as does the lazy person on his bed.
15 The lazy person buries his hand in the dish,
but he’s too tired to bring it to his mouth again.
16 The lazy person is wiser in his own opinion
than seven men who can give an appropriate response.
17 Picking up a dog by the ears—
that’s what someone is like who[b] meddles in another’s fight.
18 Like the maniac who shoots
fiery darts and deadly arrows—
19 that’s what someone is like who lies to his neighbor
and then says, “I was joking, wasn’t I?”
On Gossip and Backbiting
20 Without wood, the fire goes out.
Without a gossip, contention stops.
21 Charcoal is to hot coals
as wood is to fire;
so also a quarrelsome man fuels strife.
22 The words of a gossip are like delicate morsels;
they sink down deep within.
23 A clay vessel plated with a thin veneer of silver—
that’s what smooth[c] lips with a wicked heart are.
24 Someone who hates hides behind his words,
harboring deceit within himself.
25 Though he speaks graciously, don’t believe him,
for there are seven detestable things in his heart.
26 Though malice disguises itself with deception,
its evil will be exposed publicly.
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
and the stone will come back
on whoever starts it rolling.
28 A lying tongue hates its victims,
and a flattering mouth causes ruin.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 26:6 The Heb. lacks his own
- Proverbs 26:17 Lit. who, as he is passing by,
- Proverbs 26:23 So LXX; MT reads burning
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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