New Revised Standard NRS
New International Version NIV
1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.
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Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.
2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, an undeserved curse goes nowhere.
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Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools.
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A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!
4 Do not answer fools according to their folly, or you will be a fool yourself.
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Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.
5 Answer fools according to their folly, or they will be wise in their own eyes.
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Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.
6 It is like cutting off one's foot and drinking down violence, to send a message by a fool.
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Sending a message by the hands of a fool is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
7 The legs of a disabled person hang limp; so does a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
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Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
8 It is like binding a stone in a sling to give honor to a fool.
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Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.
9 Like a thornbush brandished by the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
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Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
10 Like an archer who wounds everybody is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.
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Like an archer who wounds at random is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who reverts to his folly.
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As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.
12 Do you see persons wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for fools than for them.
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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 is a lion in the road! There is 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 As a door turns on its hinges, so does a lazy person in bed.
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As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.
15 The lazy person buries a hand in the dish, and is too tired to bring it back to the mouth.
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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 is wiser in self-esteem than seven who can answer discreetly.
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A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly.
17 Like somebody who takes a passing dog by the ears is one who meddles in the quarrel of another.
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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 maniac who shoots deadly firebrands and arrows,
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Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death
19 so is one who deceives a neighbor and says, "I am only joking!"
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is one who deceives their neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”
20 For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.
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Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.
21 As charcoal is to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
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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 whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.
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The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.
23 Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are smooth lips with an evil heart.
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Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.
24 An enemy dissembles in speaking while harboring deceit within;
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Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit.
25 when an enemy speaks graciously, do not believe it, for there are seven abominations concealed within;
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Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts.
26 though hatred is covered with guile, the enemy's wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
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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 will fall into it, and a stone will come back on the one who starts it rolling.
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Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.
28 A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
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A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. 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.