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.