The Bible in Basic English BBE
Orthodox Jewish Bible OJB
1 Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
1
6 As sheleg (snow) in kayitz (summer), and as matar (rain) at katzir (harvest), so kavod is not fitting for a kesil (fool).
2 As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
2
As the tzippor in its fluttering, as the swallow in its flying, so the kelelah (curse) without cause shall not alight.
3 A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
3
A shot (whip) for the sus, a bridle for the chamor, and a shevet for the back of kesilim.
4 Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
4
Answer not a kesil (fool) according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
5 Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
5
Answer a kesil (fool) according to his folly, lest he be chacham 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.
6
He that sendeth a message by the yad of a kesil (fool) cutteth off the raglayim, and drinketh chamas.
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.
7
The legs of the pisei’ach (lame man) hang limp; so is a mashal in the peh (mouth) of kesilim.
8 Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
8
As he that bindeth an even (stone) in a sling, so is he that giveth kavod to a kesil (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.
9
As a thornbush goeth up into the yad of a shikkor, so is a mashal in the peh (mouth) of kesilim.
10 Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
10
Like an archer wounding all, so is he that hireth the kesil (fool), or hireth the passerby.
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.
11
As a kelev returneth to his vomit, so a kesil (fool) returneth to his folly.
12 Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
12
Seest thou an ish chacham in his own eyes? There is more tikvah (hope) for a kesil (fool) than for him.
13 The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
13
The atzel (sluggard, lazy one) saith, There is a lion in the derech; an ari is in the rechovot.
14 A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
14
As the delet (door) turneth upon its hinges, so doth the atzel (sluggard, lazy one) upon his mittah (bed).
15 The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
15
The atzel (sluggard, lazy one) hideth his yad in his dish; it’s too tiring to bring it back to his peh (mouth) again.
16 The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
16
The atzel (sluggard, lazy one) is chacham in his own eyes, more than seven that give an excellent answer.
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.
17
He that passeth by, and meddleth in a quarrel that doth not belong to him, is like one that taketh a kelev by the oznayim.
18 As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
18
As a mad man who shooteth firebrands, khitzim (arrows), and mavet,
19 So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
19
So is the ish that deceiveth his re’a, and saith, Am I not just having a laugh?
20 Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
20
Where no wood is, there the eish goeth out; so where there is no nirgan (gossip, slanderer, talebearer), the strife dieth down.
21 Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
21
As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to eish; so is a contentious ish to kindle 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.
22
The devarim of a nirgan (gossip, slanderer, talebearer) are like tasty morsels, and they go down into the innermost chambers of the beten.
23 Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
23
Fervent sfatayim (lips) and a lev rah are like earthenware covered with silver dross.
24 With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
24
He that hateth disguises it with his sfatayim (lips), and within harboreth mirmah (deceit);
25 When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
25
When he speaketh fair, believe him not; for there are sheva to’avot in his lev.
26 Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
26
Whose hatred is covered by guile, yet his wickedness shall be exposed before the whole kahal.
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.
27
He who diggeth a shachat (pit) shall fall therein, and he that rolleth an even (stone), it will roll back upon him.
28 A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
28
A lashon sheker hateth those that are crushed by it; and a flattering peh (mouth) worketh ruin.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.