Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. New Living Translation Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim. English Standard Version Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight. Berean Standard Bible Like a fluttering sparrow or darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. King James Bible As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. New King James Version Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, So a curse without cause shall not alight. New American Standard Bible Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, So a curse without cause does not come to rest. NASB 1995 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, So a curse without cause does not alight. NASB 1977 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, So a curse without cause does not alight. Legacy Standard Bible Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in flying, So a curse without cause does not come to pass. Amplified Bible Like the sparrow in her wandering, like the swallow in her flying, So the curse without cause does not come and alight [on the undeserving]. Christian Standard Bible Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow, an undeserved curse goes nowhere. Holman Christian Standard Bible Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow, an undeserved curse goes nowhere. American Standard Version As the sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying, So the curse that is causeless alighteth not. Aramaic Bible in Plain English Like a bird and a flying creature in the air, so an empty curse wanders. Brenton Septuagint Translation As birds and sparrows fly, so a curse shall not come upon any one without a cause. Contemporary English Version A curse you don't deserve will take wings and fly away like a sparrow or a swallow. Douay-Rheims Bible As a bird flying to other places, and a sparrow going here or there: so a curse uttered without cause shall come upon a man. English Revised Version As the sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying, so the curse that is causeless lighteth not. GOD'S WORD® Translation Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so a hastily spoken curse does not come to rest. Good News Translation Curses cannot hurt you unless you deserve them. They are like birds that fly by and never light. International Standard Version Like a fluttering sparrow or a swallow in flight, a curse without cause will not alight. JPS Tanakh 1917 As the wandering sparrow, as the flying swallow, So the curse that is causeless shall come home. Literal Standard Version As a bird by wandering, as a swallow by flying, | So reviling without cause does not come. Majority Standard Bible Like a fluttering sparrow or darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. New American Bible Like the sparrow in its flitting, like the swallow in its flight, a curse uncalled-for never lands. NET Bible Like a fluttering bird or like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause does not come to rest. New Revised Standard Version Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, an undeserved curse goes nowhere. New Heart English Bible Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn't come to rest. Webster's Bible Translation As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. World English Bible Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn’t come to rest. Young's Literal Translation As a bird by wandering, as a swallow by flying, So reviling without cause doth not come. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Similitudes and Instructions1Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, honor does not befit a fool. 2Like a fluttering sparrow or darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. 3A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!… Cross References Numbers 23:8 How can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I denounce what the LORD has not denounced? Deuteronomy 23:5 Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you. 2 Samuel 16:12 Perhaps the LORD will see my affliction and repay me with good for the cursing I receive today." Proverbs 27:8 Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who wanders from his home. Isaiah 16:2 Like fluttering birds pushed out of the nest, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon: Treasury of Scripture As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. so Numbers 23:8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied? Deuteronomy 23:4,5 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee… 1 Samuel 14:28,29 Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint… Jump to Previous Alight Alighteth Bird Cause Causeless Curse Darting Flight Fluttering Flying Home Rest Reviling Sparrow Swallow WanderingJump to Next Alight Alighteth Bird Cause Causeless Curse Darting Flight Fluttering Flying Home Rest Reviling Sparrow Swallow WanderingProverbs 26 1. observations about fools13. about sluggards 17. and about contentious busybodies (2) As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying.--Rather, As the bird (any small one, especially the sparrow) is made for wandering, and the swallow for flying (where it pleases), so the curse causeless (i.e., spoken without reason) shall not come (reach its destination). The Hebrew reads in the margin "to him," instead of "not," in the sense that a causeless curse, though it passes out of sight like a bird in its flight, yet returns "to him" who uttered it--an idea expressed in more than one English proverb. (Comp. Psalm 109:17-18; Isaiah 55:11.)Verse 2. - As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying. "Bird" (tsippor) is the sparrow, which is found throughout Palestine; "swallow" (deror), the free flier. The Authorized Version hardly gives the sense. The line should be rendered, as the sparrow in (in respect of) its wandering, as the swallow in its flying. The point of comparison is the vagueness and aimlessness of the birds' flight, or the uselessness of trying to catch them in their course. So the curse causeless shall not come. It shall, as it were, spend its force in the air, and fall not on the head on which it was invoked. A causeless curse is that which is uttered against one who has done nothing to deserve such denunciation. Septuagint, "As birds and sparrows fly, so a causeless (ματαία) curse shall come upon no one" (comp. 1 Samuel 17:43; Nehemiah 13:2.) Bailey, 'Festus' - "Blessings star forth forever; but a curse Hebrew Like a flutteringלָ֭נוּד (lā·nūḏ) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 5110: To nod, waver, to wander, flee, disappear, to console, deplore, taunt sparrow כַּצִּפּ֣וֹר (kaṣ·ṣip·pō·wr) Preposition-k, Article | Noun - common singular Strong's 6833: A little bird or darting לָע֑וּף (lā·‘ūp̄) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 5774: To fly, to faint swallow, כַּדְּר֣וֹר (kad·də·rō·wr) Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1866: The swift, a kind of swallow an undeserved חִ֝נָּ֗ם (ḥin·nām) Adverb Strong's 2600: Gratis, devoid of cost, reason, advantage curse קִֽלְלַ֥ת (qil·laṯ) Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 7045: Vilification does not ל֣וֹ (lōw) Preposition | third person masculine singular Strong's 3808: Not, no come to rest. תָבֹֽא׃ (ṯā·ḇō) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go Links Proverbs 26:2 NIVProverbs 26:2 NLT Proverbs 26:2 ESV Proverbs 26:2 NASB Proverbs 26:2 KJV Proverbs 26:2 BibleApps.com Proverbs 26:2 Biblia Paralela Proverbs 26:2 Chinese Bible Proverbs 26:2 French Bible Proverbs 26:2 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Proverbs 26:2 Like a fluttering sparrow like a darting (Prov. Pro Pr) |