Proverbs 26
Expanded Bible
26 It shouldn’t snow in summer or rain at harvest.
Neither should a foolish person ever be honored.
2 Curses ·will not harm someone who is innocent [that are undeserved never stick];
they are like ·darting [flitting] birds or flying swallows.
3 Whips are for horses, and ·harnesses [bridles] are for donkeys,
·so paddles are good for fools [L and rods for the backs of fools].
4 Don’t answer fools when they speak foolishly,
or you will be just like them.
5 Answer fools when they speak foolishly,
or they will ·think they are really wise [L be wise in their own eyes; C a wise person must read the situation to know whether to answer or not].
6 Sending a message by a foolish person
is like cutting off your feet or drinking ·poison [L violence].
7 A ·wise saying spoken by [L proverb in the mouth of] a fool
·is as useless as [L dangles like] the legs of a crippled person.
8 Giving honor to a foolish person
is like ·tying a stone [L a bag of stones] in a slingshot.
9 A ·wise saying spoken by [L proverb in the mouth of] a fool
is like a ·thorn stuck in the hand of a drunk [L thornbush in the hand of a fool].
10 Hiring a foolish person or anyone just passing by
is like an archer shooting ·at just anything [randomly].
11 A fool who repeats his ·foolishness [foolish mistakes]
is like a dog that goes back to ·what it has thrown up [its vomit; 2 Pet. 2:22].
12 There is more hope for a foolish person
than for those who ·think they are wise [L are wise in their own eyes].
13 The lazy person says, “There’s a lion in the ·road [path]!
There’s a lion in the streets!”
14 Like a door turning back and forth on its hinges,
the lazy person turns over and over in bed.
15 Lazy people may ·put [L bury] their hands in the dish,
but they are ·too tired [or not able] to lift the food to their mouths.
16 The lazy person ·thinks he is wiser [L is wiser in his own eyes]
than seven people who give sensible answers.
17 Interfering in ·someone else’s quarrel as you pass by [or a fight not your own]
is like grabbing a dog by the ears [L as it passes by; C the idea of passing by can go with either line].
18 Like a madman shooting
deadly, burning arrows
19 is the one who ·tricks [deceives] a neighbor
and then says, “I was just joking.”
20 Without wood, a fire ·will go out [is extinguished],
and without gossip, ·quarreling will stop [conflict calms down].
21 Just as charcoal and wood keep a fire going,
a quarrelsome person ·keeps an argument going [kindles accusations].
22 The words of a gossip are like ·tasty bits of food [choice morsels];
·people like to gobble them up [L they go down to the inmost parts].
23 ·Kind words [L Smooth lips] from a wicked ·mind [L heart]
are like ·a shiny [silver] coating on a clay pot.
24 Those who hate you may try to ·fool [trick] you with their ·words [L lips],
but ·in their minds [inside] they ·are planning evil [L set deception].
25 People’s ·words [L voice] may be ·kind [gracious], but don’t believe them,
because ·their minds are full of evil thoughts [L seven abominations are in their heart; C seven is the number of completion].
26 ·Lies [Trickery; Guile] can ·hide [cover] hate,
but the evil will be ·plain to everyone [L revealed in the assembly].
27 Whoever digs a pit for others will fall into it.
Whoever tries to roll a boulder down on others will ·be crushed by it [L have it turn back on them].
28 ·Liars [L Lying tongues] hate the people they ·hurt [crush],
and ·false praise [L a flattering tongue] can ruin others.
Proverbs 26
New American Standard Bible
Similitudes and Instructions
26 Like snow in summer and like (A)rain in harvest,
So honor is not (B)fitting for a fool.
2 Like a (C)sparrow in its [a]flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
So a (D)curse without cause does not come to rest.
3 A (E)whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
And a (F)rod for the back of fools.
4 (G)Do not answer a fool [b]according to his foolishness,
Or you will also be like him.
5 (H)Answer a fool as his foolishness deserves,
So that he will not be (I)wise in his own eyes.
6 One who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Chops off his own feet and drinks violence.
7 Like [c]useless legs to one who cannot walk,
So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
8 Like [d]one who binds a stone in a sling,
So is one who gives honor to a fool.
9 Like a thorn that [e]sticks in the hand of a heavy drinker,
So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
10 [f]Like an archer who wounds everyone,
So is one who hires a fool or hires those who pass by.
11 Like (J)a dog that returns to its vomit,
So is a fool who (K)repeats [g]his foolishness.
12 Do you see a person (L)wise in his own eyes?
(M)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 [h]A (N)lazy one says, “There is a lion on the road!
A lion is [i]in the public square!”
14 As the door turns on its hinges,
So does a (O)lazy one on his bed.
15 A (P)lazy one buries his hand in the dish;
He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.
16 A lazy one is (Q)wiser in his own eyes
Than seven people who can [j]give a discreet answer.
17 Like one who takes a dog by the ears,
So is one who passes by and [k]meddles with (R)strife not belonging to him.
18 Like a maniac who shoots
(S)Flaming arrows, arrows, and death,
19 So is a person who (T)deceives his neighbor,
And says, “(U)Was I not joking?”
20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no (V)gossiper, (W)quarreling quiets down.
21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a (X)contentious person to kindle strife.
22 The (Y)words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the [l]innermost parts of the body.
23 Like an earthenware (Z)vessel overlaid with silver [m](AA)impurities
Are burning lips and a wicked heart.
24 One who (AB)hates disguises it with his lips,
But he harbors (AC)deceit in his [n]heart.
25 When [o]he (AD)speaks graciously, do not believe him,
Because there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 Though his hatred (AE)covers itself with deception,
His wickedness will be (AF)revealed in the assembly.
27 One who (AG)digs a pit will fall into it,
And one who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates [p]those it crushes,
And a (AH)flattering mouth works ruin.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 26:2 Lit wandering
- Proverbs 26:4 I.e., taking his question or argument seriously
- Proverbs 26:7 Lit legs that dangle from one paralyzed
- Proverbs 26:8 Lit the binding of
- Proverbs 26:9 Lit goes up
- Proverbs 26:10 Or A master workman produces all things, But one who hires a fool is like one who hires those who pass by
- Proverbs 26:11 Lit with his
- Proverbs 26:13 Lit an idle, and so throughout the ch
- Proverbs 26:13 Lit within
- Proverbs 26:16 Lit return discreetly
- Proverbs 26:17 Lit infuriates himself
- Proverbs 26:22 Lit chambers of the belly
- Proverbs 26:23 Lit dross
- Proverbs 26:24 Lit inward part
- Proverbs 26:25 Lit his voice is gracious
- Proverbs 26:28 Lit its crushed ones
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New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
