The Bible in Basic English BBE
New International Version NIV
1 Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
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Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.
2 As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
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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 mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
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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 give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
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Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.
5 Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
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Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.
6 He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
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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 one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.
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Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
8 Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
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Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.
9 Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.
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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 wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
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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 going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.
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As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.
12 Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
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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 hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
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A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!”
14 A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
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As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.
15 The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
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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 hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
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A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly.
17 He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.
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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 As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
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Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death
19 So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
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is one who deceives their neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”
20 Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
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Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.
21 Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
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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 one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.
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The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.
23 Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
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Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.
24 With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
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Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit.
25 When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
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Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts.
26 Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
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Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.
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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 false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
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A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
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.