Proverbs 26

1 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. ▼
▼ Or  hires a fool or passersby

 11 Like o a dog that returns to his vomit
is p a fool who repeats his folly.
 12 Do you see a man who is q wise in his own eyes?
r There is more hope for a fool than for him.
 13  s 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  t The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
 16 The sluggard is u wiser in his own eyes
v 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 w 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 x whisperer y quarreling ceases.
 21 As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
so is z a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
 22  aa The words of ab a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
they go down into the inner parts of the body.
 23  ac Like the ad glaze ▼
▼ By revocalization; Hebrew silver of dross
 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  af when he speaks graciously, believe him not,
for there are ag seven abominations in his heart;
 26 though his hatred be covered with deception,
his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
 27  ah 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.
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