Proverbs 26:13-28

Christian Standard Bible

¹³ The slacker says, “There’s a lion in the road—
a lion in the public square!” ^(A)
14 A door turns on its hinges,
and a slacker, on his bed.^(B)
15 The slacker buries his hand in the bowl;
he is too weary to bring it to his mouth!^(C)
16 In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser^(D)
than seven who can answer sensibly.

¹⁷ A person who is passing by and meddles in a quarrel that’s not his
is like one who grabs a dog by the ears.
¹⁸ Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows,^(E)
19 so is the person who deceives his neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”

²⁰ Without wood, fire goes out;
without a gossip, conflict dies down.^(F)
21 As charcoal for embers and wood for fire,
so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.^(G)
22 A gossip’s words are like choice food
that goes down to one’s innermost being.^[a](H)

²³ Smooth^[b] lips with an evil heart
are like glaze on an earthen vessel.^(I)
24 A hateful person disguises himself with his speech
and harbors deceit within.
²⁵ When he speaks graciously, don’t believe him,
for there are seven detestable things in his heart.^(J)
26 Though his hatred is concealed by deception,
his evil will be revealed in the assembly.
²⁷ The one who digs a pit will fall into it,
and whoever rolls a stone—
it will come back on him.^(K)
28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes,
and a flattering mouth causes ruin.