Proverbs 26
New King James Version
Honor Is Not Fitting for a Fool
26 As snow in summer (A)and rain in harvest,
So honor is not fitting for a fool.
2 Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow,
So (B)a curse without cause shall not alight.
3 (C)A whip for the horse,
A bridle for the donkey,
And a rod for the fool’s back.
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest you also be like him.
5 (D)Answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest he be wise in his own eyes.
6 He who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
7 Like the legs of the lame that hang limp
Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8 Like one who binds a stone in a sling
Is he who gives honor to a fool.
9 Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard
Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 [a]The great God who formed everything
Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.
11 (E)As a dog returns to his own vomit,
(F)So a fool repeats his folly.
12 (G)Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road!
A fierce lion is in the [b]streets!”
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
So does the lazy man on his bed.
15 The (H)lazy man buries his hand in the [c]bowl;
It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes
Than seven men who can answer sensibly.
17 He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own
Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.
18 Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,
19 Is the man who deceives his neighbor,
And says, (I)“I was only joking!”
20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out;
And where there is no [d]talebearer, strife ceases.
21 (J)As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire,
So is a contentious man to kindle strife.
22 The words of a [e]talebearer are like [f]tasty trifles,
And they go down into the [g]inmost body.
23 Fervent lips with a wicked heart
Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.
24 He who hates, disguises it with his lips,
And lays up deceit within himself;
25 (K)When [h]he speaks kindly, do not believe him,
For there are seven abominations in his heart;
26 Though his hatred is covered by deceit,
His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.
27 (L)Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it,
And a flattering mouth works (M)ruin.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 26:10 Heb. difficult in v. 10; ancient and modern translators differ greatly
- Proverbs 26:13 Or plazas, squares
- Proverbs 26:15 LXX, Syr. bosom; Tg., Vg. armpit
- Proverbs 26:20 gossip or slanderer, lit. whisperer
- Proverbs 26:22 gossip or slanderer
- Proverbs 26:22 A Jewish tradition wounds
- Proverbs 26:22 Lit. rooms of the belly
- Proverbs 26:25 Lit. his voice is gracious
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
Proverbios 26
Palabra de Dios para Todos
26 No le sienta bien la nieve al verano,
ni la lluvia a la cosecha,
ni los honores al bruto.
2 Como gorrión extraviado o golondrina sin nido,
así es la maldición sin motivo: jamás alcanza su destino.
3 Hay que fustigar a los caballos,
ponerles freno a las mulas
y castigar a los brutos.
4 Responder a las tonterías del bruto
es parecerse a él;
5 respóndele como se merece
para que se fije en su insensatez.
6 Mandar un mensaje por medio de un tonto
es como amputarse las piernas o meterse en líos.
7 Un bruto tratando de decir algo sabio
es como un tullido tratando de caminar.
8 Honrar a un bruto es tan insensato
como atar una piedra a la honda.
9 Lo mismo que siente un borracho una espina en la mano,
eso entiende un tonto cuando dice un dicho sabio.
10 Como arquero que dispara a todo lo que se mueve,
así es el que contrata al bruto en su casa.
11 El perro que vomita, regresa a su mismo vómito;
así el bruto vuelve a su insensatez.
12 Tiene más esperanza un bruto,
que el que se cree muy sabio.
13 El perezoso dice: «No puedo ir a trabajar ahora
porque afuera hay un león y puede matarme».
14 La puerta gira sobre sus bisagras,
el perezoso gira sobre su cama.
15 El perezoso mete la mano en el plato,
pero le da pereza hasta llevarse un bocado a la boca.
16 El perezoso cree que es más sabio
que siete sabios capaces de aconsejar.
17 Meterse en peleas ajenas
es como agarrar un perro por las orejas.
18 Como un loco disparando al aire
flechas de fuego y muerte,
19 es el que engaña a otro
y luego dice que todo era una broma.
20 Si no hay leña, se apaga el fuego;
si no hay chismes, se acaba el pleito.
21 Con carbón se avivan las brasas,
con la leña se aviva el fuego,
con el pendenciero se inician las discusiones.
22 Los chismes son bocados exquisitos,
llegan hasta lo más hondo.
23 Como baño de plata sobre olla de barro
son las palabras bonitas del malintencionado.
24 Con sus palabras el perverso trata de disimular su odio,
pero en su interior planea maldades.
25 Lo que dice parece correcto,
pero su corazón está lleno de malos pensamientos.
26 Aunque trate de esconder sus malas intenciones,
al final todos se darán cuenta de su maldad.
27 El que abra un hoyo, caerá en él;
al que tire una piedra, le caerá encima.
28 El mentiroso hace daño a los que engaña,
y el malintencionado que habla bonito causa confusión.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
© 2005, 2015 Bible League International
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
