Holman Christian Standard Bible CSB
English Standard Version ESV
1 Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, honor is inappropriate for a fool.
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Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.
2 Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow, an undeserved curse goes nowhere.
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Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools.
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A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools.
4 Don't answer a fool according to his foolishness, or you'll be like him yourself.
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Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.
5 Answer a fool according to his foolishness, or he'll become wise in his own eyes.
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Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
6 The one who sends a message by a fool's hand cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
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Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
7 A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like lame legs that hang limp.
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Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8 Giving honor to a fool is like binding a stone in a sling.
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Like one who binds the stone in the sling is one who gives honor to a fool.
9 A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like a stick with thorns, brandished by the hand of a drunkard.
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Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 The one who hires a fool, or who hires those passing by, is like an archer who wounds everyone.
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Like an archer who wounds everyone is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.
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Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.
12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
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Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 The slacker says, "There's a lion in the road- a lion in the public square!"
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The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets! ”
14 A door turns on its hinge, and a slacker, on his bed.
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As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed.
15 The slacker buries his hand in the bowl; he is too weary to bring it to his mouth.
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The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
16 In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser than seven men who can answer sensibly.
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The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.
17 A passerby who meddles in a quarrel that's not his is like one who grabs a dog by the ears.
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Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
18 Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows,
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Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death
19 so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!"
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is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I am only joking! ”
20 Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down.
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For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.
21 As charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
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As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
22 A gossip's words are like choice food that goes down to one's innermost being.
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The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.
23 Smooth lips with an evil heart are like glaze on an earthen vessel.
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Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart.
24 A hateful person disguises himself with his speech and harbors deceit within.
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Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart;
25 When he speaks graciously, don't believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.
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when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart;
26 Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his evil will be revealed in the assembly.
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though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 The one who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever rolls a stone- it will come back on him.
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Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.
28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.
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A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025