Proverbs 26:12-28

New American Standard Bible

¹² Do you see a person ^(A)wise in his own eyes?
^(B)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
^13 [a]A ^(C)lazy one says, “There is a lion on the road!
A lion is ^[b]in the public square!”
¹⁴ As the door turns on its hinges,
So does a ^(D)lazy one on his bed.
¹⁵ A ^(E)lazy one buries his hand in the dish;
He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.
¹⁶ A lazy one is ^(F)wiser in his own eyes
Than seven people who can ^[c]give a discreet answer.
¹⁷ Like one who takes a dog by the ears,
So is one who passes by and ^[d]meddles with ^(G)strife not belonging to him.
¹⁸ Like a maniac who shoots
^(H)Flaming arrows, arrows, and death,
¹⁹ So is a person who ^(I)deceives his neighbor,
And says, “^(J)Was I not joking?”
²⁰ For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no ^(K)gossiper, ^(L)quarreling quiets down.
²¹ Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a ^(M)contentious person to kindle strife.
²² The ^(N)words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the ^[e]innermost parts of the body.
²³ Like an earthenware ^(O)vessel overlaid with silver ^[f](P)impurities
Are burning lips and a wicked heart.
²⁴ One who ^(Q)hates disguises it with his lips,
But he harbors ^(R)deceit in his ^[g]heart.
²⁵ When ^[h]he ^(S)speaks graciously, do not believe him,
Because there are seven abominations in his heart.
²⁶ Though his hatred ^(T)covers itself with deception,
His wickedness will be ^(U)revealed in the assembly.
²⁷ One who ^(V)digs a pit will fall into it,
And one who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
²⁸ A lying tongue hates ^[i]those it crushes,
And a ^(W)flattering mouth works ruin.