Proverbs 26:10-26

English Standard Version

¹⁰ Like an archer who wounds everyone
    is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.^[a]
11 Like ^(A)a dog that returns to his vomit
    is ^(B)a fool who repeats his folly.
¹² Do you see a man who is ^(C)wise in his own eyes?
    ^(D)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
^13 (E)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 (F)The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
¹⁶ The sluggard is ^(G)wiser in his own eyes
    ^(H)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 ^(I)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 ^(J)whisperer, ^(K)quarreling ceases.
²¹ As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
    so is ^(L)a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
^22 (M)The words of ^(N)a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
    they go down into the inner parts of the body.
^23 (O)Like the ^(P)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 (Q)when he speaks graciously, believe him not,
    for there are ^(R)seven abominations in his heart;
²⁶ though his hatred be covered with deception,
    his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.