Proverbs 26

Proverbs 26 (New International Version)

 ¹ Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
       honor is not fitting for a fool.

 ² Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
       an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

 ³ A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey,
       and a rod for the backs of fools!

 ⁴ Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
       or you will be like him yourself.

 ⁵ Answer a fool according to his folly,
       or he will be wise in his own eyes.

 ⁶ Like cutting off one's feet or drinking violence
       is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.

 ⁷ Like a lame man's legs that hang limp
       is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

 ⁸ Like tying a stone in a sling
       is the giving of honor to a fool.

 ⁹ Like a thornbush in a drunkard's hand
       is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

 ¹⁰ Like an archer who wounds at random
       is he who hires a fool or any passer-by.

 ¹¹ As a dog returns to its vomit,
       so a fool repeats his folly.

 ¹² Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
       There is more hope for a fool than for him.

 ¹³ The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road,
       a fierce lion roaming the streets!"

 ¹⁴ As a door turns on its hinges,
       so a sluggard turns on his bed.

 ¹⁵ The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
       he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

 ¹⁶ The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
       than seven men who answer discreetly.

 ¹⁷ Like one who seizes a dog by the ears
       is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.

 ¹⁸ Like a madman shooting
       firebrands or deadly arrows

 ¹⁹ is a man who deceives his neighbor
       and says, "I was only joking!"

 ²⁰ Without wood a fire goes out;
       without gossip a quarrel dies down.

 ²¹ As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
       so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

 ²² The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
       they go down to a man's inmost parts.

 ²³ Like a coating of glaze ^[a] over earthenware
       are fervent lips with an evil heart.

 ²⁴ A malicious man disguises himself with his lips,
       but in his heart he harbors deceit.

 ²⁵ Though his speech is charming, do not believe him,
       for seven abominations fill his heart.

 ²⁶ His malice may be concealed by deception,
       but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

 ²⁷ If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it;
       if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.

 ²⁸ A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
       and a flattering mouth works ruin.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 26:23 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text of silver dross