Proverbs 26:1-19 ▼

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

2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, So a curse without cause does not come to rest.

3 A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the back of fools.

4 Do not answer a fool according to his foolishness, Or you will also be like him.

5 Answer a fool as his foolishness deserves, So that he will not be wise in his own eyes.

6 One who sends a message by the hand of a fool Chops off his own feet and drinks violence.

7 Like useless legs to one who cannot walk, So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.

8 Like one who binds a stone in a sling, So is one who gives honor to a fool.

9 Like a thorn that sticks in the hand of a heavy drinker, So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.

10 Like an archer who wounds everyone, So is one who hires a fool or hires those who pass by.

11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit, So is a fool who repeats his foolishness.

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

13 A lazy one says, “There is a lion on the road! A lion is in the public square!”

14 As the door turns on its hinges, So does a lazy one on his bed.

15 A lazy one buries his hand in the dish; He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.

16 A lazy one is wiser in his own eyes Than seven people who can give a discreet answer.

17 Like one who takes a dog by the ears, So is one who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him.

18 Like a maniac who shoots Flaming arrows, arrows, and death,

19 So is a person who deceives his neighbor, And says, “Was I not joking?”