New Century Version NCV
New International Version NIV
1 It shouldn't snow in summer or rain at harvest. Neither should a foolish person ever be honored.
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Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.
2 Curses will not harm someone who is innocent; they are like sparrows or swallows that fly around and never land.
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Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
3 Whips are for horses, and harnesses are for donkeys, so paddles are good for fools.
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A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!
4 Don't give fools a foolish answer, or you will be just like them.
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Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.
5 But answer fools as they should be answered, or they will think they are really wise.
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Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.
6 Sending a message by a foolish person is like cutting off your feet or drinking poison.
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Sending a message by the hands of a fool is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
7 A wise saying spoken by a fool is as useless as the legs of a crippled person.
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Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
8 Giving honor to a foolish person is like tying a stone in a slingshot.
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Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.
9 A wise saying spoken by a fool is like a thorn stuck in the hand of a drunk.
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Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
10 Hiring a foolish person or anyone just passing by is like an archer shooting at just anything.
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Like an archer who wounds at random is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11 A fool who repeats his foolishness is like a dog that goes back to what it has thrown up.
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As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.
12 There is more hope for a foolish person than for those who think they are wise.
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Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them.
13 The lazy person says, "There's a lion in the road! There's a lion in the streets!"
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A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!”
14 Like a door turning back and forth on its hinges, the lazy person turns over and over in bed.
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As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.
15 Lazy people may put their hands in the dish, but they are too tired to lift the food to their mouths.
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A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16 The lazy person thinks he is wiser than seven people who give sensible answers.
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A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly.
17 Interfering in someone else's quarrel as you pass by is like grabbing a dog by the ears.
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Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.
18 Like a madman shooting deadly, burning arrows
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Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death
19 is the one who tricks a neighbor and then says, "I was just joking."
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is one who deceives their neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”
20 Without wood, a fire will go out, and without gossip, quarreling will stop.
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Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.
21 Just as charcoal and wood keep a fire going, a quarrelsome person keeps an argument going.
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As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
22 The words of a gossip are like tasty bits of food; people like to gobble them up.
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The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.
23 Kind words from a wicked mind are like a shiny coating on a clay pot.
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Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.
24 Those who hate you may try to fool you with their words, but in their minds they are planning evil.
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Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit.
25 People's words may be kind, but don't believe them, because their minds are full of evil thoughts.
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Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts.
26 Lies can hide hate, but the evil will be plain to everyone.
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Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit for others will fall into it. Whoever tries to roll a boulder down on others will be crushed by it.
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Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.
28 Liars hate the people they hurt, and false praise can ruin others.
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A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.