Open English Translation PROV Chapter 26

26 Like snow in the summer, or rain at harvest time,

so too honour isn’t fitting for a fool.

2 Like a fluttering bird or a darting swallow,

so too an undeserved curse won’t land on you.

3 There’s a whip for the horse and a bridle for the donkey,

and a rod to beat the fool’s back.

4 Don’t answer a fool with a foolish answer,

otherwise you’ll just end up like them.

5 Answer a fool according to their foolish thinking,

so they don’t think they’re cleverer than they are.

6 Sending a fool with your message to pass on

is like cutting off your feet and drinking in violence.

7 The legs of a lame person just dangle down,

like a proverb in the mouth of fools.

8 Giving honour to a fool,

is like tying the stone into the sling.

9 A drunkard getting thorns in his hand,

is like a fool trying to explain a proverb.

10 Hiring a fool or an unknown passer-by,

is like an archer just randomly shooting arrows.

11 A fool who keeps doing the same foolish things,

is like a dog that returns to its vomit.[ref]

12 Do you see a person who thinks they’re clever?

There’s more hope for a fool than for that person.

13 The lazy person says, “There’s a young lion on the road.

≈ There’s a lion out there on the streets.”

14 The door turns on its hinges,

and the slacker turns in their bed.

15 The sluggard keeps their hand in the dish—

they’re too lazy to bring it back to their mouth.

16 The slacker is wiser in their own eyes,

than seven people who give good advice.

17 The person who gets angry about a quarrel that’s nothing to do with them,

is like someone grabbing the ears of a dog that’s passing by.

18-19 18-19A person who deceives their neighbour then says they were just joking

is like a madman shooting flaming arrows.

20 When there’s no more firewood, the fire goes out,

and when there’s no gossiper, a conflict dies down.

21 Like wood gets the fire burning

≈ and charcoal keeps the embers hot,

→ so too a contentious person kindles strife.

22 The words of a gossip are like delicious morsels,

and they go right down into the person’s insides.

23 Burning lips and evil motives

are like a silver overlay on a clay pot.

24 A person who hates can disguise it with their lips,

but they’re accumulating deceit inside.

25 When they say favourable things, don’t trust them,

because there’s seven detestable things in within them.

26 Hatred can be covered by deception,

→ but it will be uncovered when people gather together.

27 The person who digs a pit will fall into it,

≈ and the one who rolls a stone will have it come back on them.

28 A lying tongue despises those who are crushed by it,

^ and a flattering mouth leads to calamity.

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