Proverbs 26:1-28
26 Like snow in summer and like rain in harvesttime,+ so glory is not fitting for a stupid one.+
2 Just as a bird has cause for fleeing [and] just as a swallow for flying, so a malediction itself does not come without real cause.+
3 A whip is for the horse,+ a bridle+ is for the ass, and the rod is for the back of stupid people.+
4 Do not answer anyone stupid according to his foolishness, that you yourself also may not become equal to him.+
5 Answer someone stupid according to his foolishness, that he may not become someone wise in his own eyes.+
6 As one that is mutilating [his] feet, as one that is drinking mere violence, is he that is thrusting matters into the hand of someone stupid.+
7 Have the legs of the lame one drawn up water? Then there is a proverb in the mouth of stupid people.+
8 Like one shutting up a stone in a heap of stones, so is the one giving glory to a mere stupid one.+
9 As a thorny weed has come up into the hand of a drunkard, so a proverb into the mouth of stupid people.+
10 As an archer piercing everything is the one hiring someone stupid+ or the one hiring passersby.
11 Just like a dog returning to its vomit, the stupid one is repeating his foolishness.+
12 Have you seen a man wise in his own eyes?+ There is more hope for the stupid one+ than for him.
13 The lazy one has said: “There is a young lion in the way, a lion in among the public squares.”+
14 A door keeps turning upon its pivot, and the lazy one upon his couch.+
15 The lazy one has hidden his hand in the banquet bowl; he has become too weary to bring it back to his mouth.+
16 The lazy one is wiser in his own eyes+ than seven giving a sensible reply.
17 As one grabbing hold of the ears of a dog is anyone passing by that is becoming furious at the quarrel that is not his.+
18 Just like someone mad that is shooting fiery missiles,+ arrows and death,
19 so is the man that has tricked his fellowman and has said: “Was I not having fun?”+
20 Where there is no wood the fire goes out, and where there is no slanderer contention grows still.+
21 As charcoal for the embers and wood for the fire, so is a contentious man for causing a quarrel+ to glow.
22 The words of a slanderer are like things to be swallowed greedily, which do go down into the innermost parts of the belly.+
23 As a silver glazing overlaid upon a fragment of earthenware are fervent lips along with a bad heart.+
24 With his lips the hater makes himself unrecognizable, but inside of him he puts deception.+
25 Although he makes his voice gracious,+ do not believe in him,+ for there are seven detestable things+ in his heart.
26 Hatred is covered over by deceit. His badness will be uncovered in the congregation.+
27 He that is excavating a pit will fall into the same,+ and he that is rolling away a stone—back to him it will return.+
28 A tongue that is false hates the one crushed by it,+ and a flattering mouth* causes an overthrow.+
Footnotes
^ Lit., “and a mouth smooth.”
