Proverbs 26, side by side

¹Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, honor does not befit a fool.

¹As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.

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

²As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

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

³A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.

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

⁴Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

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

⁶He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.

⁷Like lame legs hanging limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

⁷The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

⁸Like binding a stone into a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.

⁸As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.

⁹Like a thorn that falls into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

⁹As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or passerby.

¹⁰The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

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

¹¹As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

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

¹²Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

¹³The slacker says, “A lion is in the road! A fierce lion roams the public square!”

¹³The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

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

¹⁴As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

¹⁵The slacker buries his hand in the dish; it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁵The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

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

¹⁶The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

¹⁷Like one who grabs a dog by the ears is a passerby who meddles in a quarrel not his own.

¹⁷He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

¹⁸Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows,

¹⁸As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,

¹⁹so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”

¹⁹So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?

²⁰Without wood, a fire goes out; without gossip, a conflict ceases.

²⁰Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

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

²¹As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

²²The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being.

²²The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

²³Like glaze covering an earthen vessel are burning lips and a wicked heart.

²³Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.

²⁴A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart.

²⁴He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;

²⁵When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.

²⁵When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.

²⁶Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

²⁶Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.

²⁷He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

²⁷Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.

²⁸A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.