Proverbs 26 - ESV - BibliaVida

1 Like snow in summer or ¹rain in harvest, so ²honor is ³not fitting for a fool.

2 Like ⁴a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, ⁵a curse that is causeless does not alight.

3 ⁶A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and ⁷a rod for the back of fools.

4 ⁸Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.

5 ⁹Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be ¹⁰wise in his own eyes.

6 Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and ¹¹drinks violence.

7 Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

8 Like one who binds the stone in the sling is ¹²one who gives honor to a fool.

9 Like ¹³a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

10 Like an archer who wounds everyone is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.^a

11 Like ¹⁴a dog that returns to his vomit is ¹⁵a fool who repeats his folly.

12 Do you see a man who is ¹⁶wise in his own eyes? ¹⁷There is more hope for a fool than for him.

13 ¹⁸The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!"

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

15 ¹⁹The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.

16 The sluggard is ²⁰wiser in his own eyes ²¹than seven men who can answer sensibly.

17 Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.

18 Like a madman who throws ²²firebrands, arrows, and death

19 is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I am only joking!"

20 For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no ²³whisperer, ²⁴quarreling ceases.

21 As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is ²⁵a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

22 ²⁶The words of ²⁷a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.

23 ²⁸Like the ²⁹glaze^b covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart.

24 Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart;

25 ³⁰when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are ³¹seven abominations in his heart;

26 though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

27 ³²Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.

28 A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

Proverbs 26 ESV