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26 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
    so honor is not fitting for a fool.(A)

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26 Like snow in summer and rain at harvest,(A)
honor is inappropriate for a fool.(B)

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A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
    and a rod for the back of fools.(A)
Do not answer fools according to their folly,
    lest you be a fool yourself.(B)
Answer fools according to their folly,
    lest they be wise in their own eyes.(C)
It is like cutting off one’s foot and drinking down violence,
    to send a message by a fool.
The legs of a lame person hang limp;
    so does a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(D)
It is like binding a stone in a sling
    to give honor to a fool.(E)
Like a thornbush brandished by the hand of a drunkard
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(F)
10 Like an archer who wounds everybody
    is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.[a]
11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit
    is a fool who reverts to his folly.(G)
12 Do you see people wise in their own eyes?
    There is more hope for fools than for them.(H)

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Footnotes

  1. 26.10 Meaning of Heb uncertain

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,(A)
and a rod for the backs of fools.(B)
Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness(C)
or you’ll be like him yourself.
Answer a fool according to his foolishness(D)
or he’ll become wise in his own eyes.(E)
The one who sends a message by a fool’s hand(F)
cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.(G)
A proverb in the mouth of a fool
is like lame legs that hang limp.
Giving honor to a fool
is like binding a stone in a sling.
A proverb in the mouth of a fool
is like a stick with thorns,
brandished by[a] the hand of a drunkard.
10 The one who hires a fool or who hires those passing by
is like an archer who wounds everyone indiscriminately.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit,
so also a fool repeats his foolishness.(H)
12 Do you see a person who is wise in his own eyes?(I)
There is more hope for a fool than for him.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. 26:9 Lit thorn that goes up into