Proverbs 26
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
26 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
so honor is not fitting for a fool.
2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
an undeserved curse goes nowhere.
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the back of fools.
4 Do not answer fools according to their folly,
or you will be a fool yourself.
5 Answer fools according to their folly,
or they will be wise in their own eyes.
6 It is like cutting off one’s foot and drinking down violence,
to send a message by a fool.
7 The legs of a disabled person hang limp;
so does a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
8 It is like binding a stone in a sling
to give honor to a fool.
9 Like a thornbush brandished by the hand of a drunkard
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
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.
12 Do you see persons wise in their own eyes?
There is more hope for fools than for them.
13 The lazy person 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 lazy person in bed.
15 The lazy person buries a hand in the dish,
and is too tired to bring it back to the mouth.
16 The lazy person is wiser in self-esteem
than seven who can answer discreetly.
17 Like somebody who takes a passing dog by the ears
is one who meddles in the quarrel of another.
18 Like a maniac who shoots deadly firebrands and arrows,
19 so is one who deceives a neighbor
and says, “I am only joking!”
20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.
21 As charcoal is to hot embers and wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
22 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
they go down into the inner parts of the body.
23 Like the glaze[b] covering an earthen vessel
are smooth[c] lips with an evil heart.
24 An enemy dissembles in speaking
while harboring deceit within;
25 when an enemy speaks graciously, do not believe it,
for there are seven abominations concealed within;
26 though hatred is covered with guile,
the enemy’s wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
and a stone will come back on the one who starts it rolling.
28 A lying tongue hates its victims,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 26:10 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- Proverbs 26:23 Cn: Heb silver of dross
- Proverbs 26:23 Gk: Heb burning
Proverbs 26
Authorized (King James) Version
26 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest,
so honour is not seemly for a fool.
2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying,
so the curse causeless shall not come.
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass,
and a rod for the fool’s back.
4 Answer not a fool according to his folly,
lest thou also be like unto him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
lest he be wise in his own conceit.
6 He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool
cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.
7 The legs of the lame are not equal:
so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
8 As he that bindeth a stone in a sling,
so is he that giveth honour to a fool.
9 As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard,
so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
10 The great God that formed all things
both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.
11 As a dog returneth to his vomit,
so a fool returneth to his folly.
12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit?
there is more hope of a fool than of him.
13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way;
a lion is in the streets.
14 As the door turneth upon his hinges,
so doth the slothful upon his bed.
15 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom;
it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.
16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit
than seven men that can render a reason.
17 He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him,
is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.
18 As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
19 so is the man that deceiveth his neighbour,
and saith, Am not I in sport?
20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out:
so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire;
so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds,
and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
23 Burning lips and a wicked heart
are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.
24 He that hateth dissembleth with his lips,
and layeth up deceit within him;
25 when he speaketh fair, believe him not:
for there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 Whose hatred is covered by deceit,
his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.
27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein:
and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.
28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it;
and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.