Proverbs 26

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

1Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.

2As a bird flying to other places, and a sparrow going here or there: so a curse uttered without cause shall come upon a man.

2As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.

3A whip for a horse, and a snaffle for an ass, and a rod for the back of fools.

3A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.

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

4Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.

5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he imagine himself to be wise.

5Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.

6He that sendeth words by a foolish messenger, is lame of feet and drinketh iniquity.

6He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.

7As a lame man hath fair legs in vain: so a parable is unseemly in the mouth of fools.

7The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.

8As he that casteth a stone into the heap of Mercury: so is he that giveth honour to a fool.

8Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.

9As if a thorn should grow in the hand of a drunkard: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

9Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.

10Judgment determineth causes: and he that putteth a fool to silence, appeaseth anger.

10Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.

11As a dog that returneth to his vomit, so is the fool that repeateth his folly.

11Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.

12Hast thou seen a man wise in his own conceit? there shall be more hope of a fool than of him.

12Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.

13The slothful man saith: There is a lion in the way, and a lioness in the roads.

13The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

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

14A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.

15The slothful hideth his hand under his armpit, and it grieveth him to turn it to his mouth.

15The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.

16The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit, than seven men that speak sentences.

16The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.

17As he that taketh a dog by the ears, so is he that passeth by in anger, and meddleth with another man's quarrel.

17He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.

18As he is guilty that shooteth arrows, and lances unto death.

18As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,

19So is the man that hurteth his friend deceitfully: and when he is taken, saith: I did it in jest.

19So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?

20When the wood faileth, the fire shall go out: and when the talebearer is taken away, contentions shall cease.

20Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.

21As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire, so an angry man stirreth up strife.

21Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.

22The words of a talebearer are as it were simple, but they reach to the innermost parts of the belly.

22The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.

23Swelling lips joined with a corrupt heart, are like an earthern vessel adorned with silver dross.

23Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.

24An enemy is known by his lips, when in his heart he entertaineth deceit.

24With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;

25When he shall speak low, trust him not: because there are seven mischiefs in his heart.

25When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:

26He that covereth hatred deceitfully, his malice shall be laid open in the public assembly.

26Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.

27He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that rolleth a stone, it shall return to him.

27He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.

28A deceitful tongue loveth not truth: and a slippery mouth worketh ruin.

28A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.