Proverbs 26

New American Standard Bible 1995

26 Like snow in summer and like ^(A)rain in harvest,
So honor is not ^(B)fitting for a fool.
² Like a ^(C)sparrow in its ^[a]flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
So a ^(D)curse without cause does not ^[b]alight.
³ A ^(E)whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
And a ^(F)rod for the back of fools.
^4 (G)Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Or you will also be like him.
^5 (H)Answer a fool as his folly deserves,
That he not be ^(I)wise in his own eyes.
⁶ He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence
Who sends a message by the hand of a fool.
⁷ Like the legs which ^[c]are useless to the lame,
So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
⁸ Like ^[d]one who binds a stone in a sling,
So is he who gives honor to a fool.
⁹ Like a thorn which ^[e]falls into the hand of a drunkard,
So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
^10 [f]Like an archer who wounds everyone,
So is he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by.
¹¹ Like ^(J)a dog that returns to its vomit
Is a fool who ^(K)repeats ^[g]his folly.
¹² Do you see a man ^(L)wise in his own eyes?
^(M)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
¹³ The ^(N)sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!
A lion is ^[h]in the open square!”
¹⁴ As the door turns on its hinges,
So does the ^(O)sluggard on his bed.
¹⁵ The ^(P)sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.
¹⁶ The sluggard is ^(Q)wiser in his own eyes
Than seven men who can ^[i]give a discreet answer.
¹⁷ Like one who takes a dog by the ears
Is he who passes by and ^[j]meddles with ^(R)strife not belonging to him.
¹⁸ Like a madman who throws
^(S)Firebrands, arrows and death,
¹⁹ So is the man who ^(T)deceives his neighbor,
And says, “^(U)Was I not joking?”
²⁰ For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no ^(V)whisperer, ^(W)contention quiets down.
²¹ Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a ^(X)contentious man to kindle strife.
²² The ^(Y)words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the ^[k]innermost parts of the body.
²³ Like an earthen ^(Z)vessel overlaid with silver ^(AA)dross
Are burning lips and a wicked heart.
²⁴ He who ^(AB)hates disguises it with his lips,
But he lays up ^(AC)deceit in his ^[l]heart.
²⁵ When ^[m]he ^(AD)speaks graciously, do not believe him,
For there are seven abominations in his heart.
²⁶ Though his hatred ^(AE)covers itself with guile,
His wickedness will be ^(AF)revealed before the assembly.
²⁷ He who ^(AG)digs a pit will fall into it,
And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
²⁸ A lying tongue hates ^[n]those it crushes,
And a ^(AH)flattering mouth works ruin.