Proverbs 26 (Today's 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 bridle for the donkey,⁴ and a rod for the backs of fools!⁵ 4 Do not answer fools according to their folly, or you yourself will be just like them.⁶ 5 Answer fools according to their folly, or they will be wise in their own eyes.⁷ 6 To send a message by the hands of a fool⁸ is like cutting off one's feet or drinking poison. 7 Like the useless legs of one who is lame 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 one who hires a fool or any passer-by. 11 As a dog returns to its vomit,¹² so fools repeat their folly.¹³ 12 Do you see people who are wise in their own eyes?¹⁴ There is more hope for fools than for them.¹⁵ 13 A sluggard says,¹⁶ "There's 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 the bed.¹⁸ 15 Sluggards bury their hands in the dish and are too lazy to bring them back to their mouths.¹⁹ 16 Sluggards are wiser in their own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly. 17 Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own. 18 Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death 19 is one who deceives a neighbor and says, "I was only joking!" 20 Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.²⁰ 21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.²¹ 22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.²² 23 Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent^a lips with an evil heart. 24 Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,²³ but in their hearts they harbor deceit.²⁴ 25 Though their speech is charming,²⁵ do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts.²⁶ 26 Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. 27 If anyone digs a pit,²⁷ they themselves will fall into it;²⁸ if anyone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.²⁹ 28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth³⁰ works ruin.