Proverbs 26 (New International Version)

1 Like snow in summer or rain¹ in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.² 2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.³ 3 A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey,⁴ and a rod for the backs of fools!⁵ 4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.⁶ 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.⁷ 6 Like cutting off one's feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.⁸ 7 Like a lame man's legs that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.⁹ 8 Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.¹⁰ 9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard's hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.¹¹ 10 Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or any passer-by. 11 As a dog returns to its vomit,¹² so a fool repeats his folly.¹³ 12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?¹⁴ There is more hope for a fool than for him.¹⁵ 13 The sluggard says,¹⁶ "There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!"¹⁷ 14 As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.¹⁸ 15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.¹⁹ 16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly. 17 Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own. 18 Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows 19 is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!" 20 Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.²⁰ 21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.²¹ 22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.²² 23 Like a coating of glaze^a over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart. 24 A malicious man disguises himself with his lips,²³ but in his heart he harbors deceit.²⁴ 25 Though his speech is charming,²⁵ do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.²⁶ 26 His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. 27 If a man digs a pit,²⁷ he will fall into it;²⁸ if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.²⁹ 28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth³⁰ works ruin.