Proverbs 26-28

English Standard Version

26 Like snow in summer or ^(A)rain in harvest,
    so ^(B)honor is ^(C)not fitting for a fool.
²Like ^(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.
⁶Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
    cuts off his own feet and ^(K)drinks violence.
⁷Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless,
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
⁸Like one who binds the stone in the sling
    is ^(L)one who gives honor to a fool.
⁹Like ^(M)a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
¹⁰Like an archer who wounds everyone
    is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.^[a]
¹¹Like ^(N)a dog that returns to his vomit
    is ^(O)a fool who repeats his folly.
¹²Do 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!”
¹⁴As 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.
¹⁶The sluggard is ^(T)wiser in his own eyes
    ^(U)than seven men who can answer sensibly.
¹⁷Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own
    is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
¹⁸Like a madman who throws ^(V)firebrands, arrows, and death
¹⁹is the man who deceives his neighbor
    and says, “I am only joking!”
²⁰For lack of wood the fire goes out,
    and where there is no ^(W)whisperer, ^(X)quarreling ceases.
²¹As 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.
²⁴Whoever 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;
²⁶though 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.
²⁸A lying tongue hates its victims,
    and a flattering mouth works ruin.
27 Do not boast about tomorrow,
    ^(AG)for you do not know what a day may bring.
²Let ^(AH)another praise you, and not your own mouth;
    a stranger, and not your own lips.
³A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,
    but ^(AI)a fool's provocation is heavier than both.
⁴Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,
    but who can stand before ^(AJ)jealousy?
⁵^(AK)Better is open rebuke
    than hidden love.
⁶Faithful are ^(AL)the wounds of a friend;
    profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
⁷One who is full loathes ^(AM)honey,
    but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.
⁸Like ^(AN)a bird that strays from its nest
    is a man who strays from his home.
⁹^(AO)Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
    and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.^[c]
¹⁰Do not forsake your friend and ^(AP)your father's friend,
    and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity.
^(AQ)Better is a neighbor who is near
    than a brother who is far away.
¹¹^(AR)Be wise, ^(AS)my son, and ^(AT)make my heart glad,
    that I may ^(AU)answer him who reproaches me.
¹²^(AV)The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
    but ^(AW)the simple go on and suffer for it.
¹³^(AX)Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
    and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.^[d]
¹⁴Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,
    rising early in the morning,
    will be counted as cursing.
¹⁵^(AY)A continual dripping on a rainy day
    and a quarrelsome wife are alike;
¹⁶to restrain her is to restrain the wind
    or to grasp^[e] oil in one's right hand.
¹⁷Iron sharpens iron,
    and one man sharpens another.^[f]
¹⁸^(AZ)Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
    and he who ^(BA)guards his master will be honored.
¹⁹As in water face reflects face,
    so the heart of man reflects the man.
²⁰^(BB)Sheol and Abaddon are ^(BC)never satisfied,
    and ^(BD)never satisfied are the eyes of man.
²¹^(BE)The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
    and a man is tested by his praise.
²²^(BF)Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
    along with crushed grain,
    yet his folly will not depart from him.

²³^(BG)Know well the condition of your flocks,
    and ^(BH)give attention to your herds,
²⁴for ^(BI)riches do not last forever;
    and does a crown endure to all generations?
²⁵^(BJ)When the grass is gone and the new growth appears
    and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,
²⁶^(BK)the lambs will provide your clothing,
    and the goats the price of a field.
²⁷^(BL)There will be enough goats' milk for your food,
    for the food of your household
    and maintenance for your girls.
28 ^(BM)The wicked flee when no one pursues,
    but ^(BN)the righteous are bold as a lion.
²When a land transgresses, ^(BO)it has many rulers,
    but with a man of understanding and knowledge,
    its stability will long continue.
³^(BP)A poor man who oppresses the poor
    is a beating rain that leaves no food.
⁴Those who forsake the law ^(BQ)praise the wicked,
    but those who keep the law ^(BR)strive against them.
⁵Evil men ^(BS)do not understand justice,
    but those who seek the Lord ^(BT)understand it completely.
⁶^(BU)Better is a poor man who ^(BV)walks in his integrity
    than a rich man who is ^(BW)crooked in his ways.
⁷The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,
    but ^(BX)a companion of gluttons shames his father.
⁸Whoever multiplies his wealth ^(BY)by interest and profit^[g]
    ^(BZ)gathers it for him who is ^(CA)generous to the poor.
⁹If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,
    even his ^(CB)prayer is an abomination.
¹⁰Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way
    ^(CC)will fall into his own pit,
    but the blameless ^(CD)will have a goodly inheritance.
¹¹A rich man is wise in his ^(CE)own eyes,
    but a poor man who has understanding ^(CF)will find him out.
¹²When ^(CG)the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
    but when ^(CH)the wicked rise, people hide themselves.
¹³Whoever ^(CI)conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
    but he who ^(CJ)confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
¹⁴Blessed is the one who ^(CK)fears the Lord^[h] always,
    but whoever ^(CL)hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
¹⁵Like ^(CM)a roaring lion or ^(CN)a charging bear
    is ^(CO)a wicked ruler over a poor people.
¹⁶A ruler who ^(CP)lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
    but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
¹⁷If one is burdened with ^(CQ)the blood of another,
    he will be a fugitive until death;^[i]
    let no one help him.
¹⁸^(CR)Whoever ^(CS)walks in integrity will be delivered,
    but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.
¹⁹^(CT)Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
    but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
²⁰A faithful man will abound with blessings,
    but whoever hastens to be rich ^(CU)will not go unpunished.
²¹To show ^(CV)partiality is not good,
    but for ^(CW)a piece of bread a man will do wrong.
²²A ^(CX)stingy man^[j] ^(CY)hastens after wealth
    and does not know that ^(CZ)poverty will come upon him.
²³Whoever ^(DA)rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
    than ^(DB)he who flatters with his tongue.
²⁴Whoever robs his father or his mother
    and says, “That is no transgression,”
    is ^(DC)a companion to a man who destroys.
²⁵A greedy man ^(DD)stirs up strife,
    but the one who trusts in the Lord will ^(DE)be enriched.
²⁶Whoever ^(DF)trusts in his own mind is a fool,
    but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
²⁷Whoever ^(DG)gives to the poor will not want,
    but he who ^(DH)hides his eyes will get many a curse.
²⁸When ^(DI)the wicked rise, ^(DJ)people hide themselves,
    but when they perish, the righteous increase.

Footnotes

Proverbs 26:10 Or hires a fool or passersby
Proverbs 26:23 By revocalization; Hebrew silver of dross
Proverbs 27:9 Or and so does the sweetness of a friend that comes from his earnest counsel
Proverbs 27:13 Hebrew a foreign woman; a slight emendation yields (compare Vulgate; see also 20:16) foreigners
Proverbs 27:16 Hebrew to meet with
Proverbs 27:17 Hebrew sharpens the face of another
Proverbs 28:8 That is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor
Proverbs 28:14 Hebrew lacks the Lord
Proverbs 28:17 Hebrew until the pit
Proverbs 28:22 Hebrew A man whose eye is evil

1 Thessalonians 3

English Standard Version

3 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing ^(A)to be left behind at Athens alone, ²and we ^(B)sent Timothy, ^(C)our brother and God's coworker^[a] in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, ³that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that ^(D)we are destined for this. ⁴For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, ^(E)just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. ⁵For this reason, ^(F)when I could bear it no longer, ^(G)I sent to learn about your faith, ^(H)for fear that somehow ^(I)the tempter had tempted you and ^(J)our labor would be in vain.

Timothy's Encouraging Report

⁶But ^(K)now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of ^(L)your faith and love and reported ^(M)that you always remember us kindly and ^(N)long to see us, as we long to see you— ⁷for this reason, brothers,^[b] in all our distress and affliction ^(O)we have been comforted about you through your faith. ⁸For now we live, if you ^(P)are standing fast in the Lord. ⁹For ^(Q)what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, ¹⁰as we pray most earnestly ^(R)night and day ^(S)that we may see you face to face and ^(T)supply what is lacking in your faith?

¹¹Now may ^(U)our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, ^(V)direct our way to you, ¹²and may the Lord ^(W)make you increase and abound in love ^(X)for one another and for all, as we do for you, ¹³so that he may ^(Y)establish your hearts blameless in holiness before ^(Z)our God and Father, at ^(AA)the coming of our Lord Jesus ^(AB)with all his saints.