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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Proverbs 26 ISV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/proverbs/26.htm" 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src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../proverbs/25.htm" title="Proverbs 25">◄</a> Proverbs 26 <a href="../proverbs/27.htm" title="Proverbs 27">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">International Standard Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/isv/esv/proverbs/26.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="heading">On Fools</p><p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Like snowfall in summer or rain at harvest time,</p> <p class="poetry2">so honor is inappropriate for a fool.</p> <p class="poetry1 margintop"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>Like a fluttering sparrow</p> <p class="poetry2">or a swallow in flight,</p> <p class="poetry2">a curse without cause will not alight.</p> <p class="poetry1 margintop"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>A whip is for the horses,</p> <p class="poetry2">a bridle is for the donkey,</p> <p class="poetry2">a rod is for the back of fools.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness,</p> <p class="poetry2">or you will be just like him.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Answer a fool according to his foolishness,</p> <p class="poetry2">or he will think himself to be wise.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool</p> <p class="poetry2">cuts off his own<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="26:6 The Heb. lacks his own">a</a></span> feet and drinks violence.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Useless legs to the lame—</p> <p class="poetry2">that’s what a proverb quoted by a fool is.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>Tying a stone to a sling—</p> <p class="poetry2">that’s what giving honor to a fool is.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>A thorn in the hand of a drunkard—</p> <p class="poetry2">that’s what a proverb quoted by a fool is.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>An archer who shoots at anyone—</p> <p class="poetry2">is like someone who hires a fool or anyone who passes by.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>A dog that returns to its vomit</p> <p class="poetry2">is like a fool who reverts to his folly.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>Do you see a man who is wise in his own opinion?</p> <p class="poetry2">There’s more hope for a fool than for him.</p> <p class="heading">On Laziness</p><p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>The lazy person claims, “There is a lion in the road!</p> <p class="poetry2">There’s a lion in the streets!”</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>The door turns on its hinges—</p> <p class="poetry2">as does the lazy person on his bed.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>The lazy person buries his hand in the dish,</p> <p class="poetry2">but he’s too tired to bring it to his mouth again.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>The lazy person is wiser in his own opinion</p> <p class="poetry2">than seven men who can give an appropriate response.</p> <p class="poetry1 margintop"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>Picking up a dog by the ears—</p> <p class="poetry2">that’s what someone is like who<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="26:17 Lit. who, as he is passing by,">b</a></span> meddles in another’s fight.</p> <p class="poetry1 margintop"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>Like the maniac who shoots</p> <p class="poetry2">fiery darts and deadly arrows—</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>that’s what someone is like who lies to his neighbor</p> <p class="poetry2">and then says, “I was joking, wasn’t I?”</p> <p class="heading">On Gossip and Backbiting</p><p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>Without wood, the fire goes out.</p> <p class="poetry2">Without a gossip, contention stops.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>Charcoal is to hot coals</p> <p class="poetry2">as wood is to fire;</p> <p class="poetry2">so also a quarrelsome man fuels strife.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>The words of a gossip are like delicate morsels;</p> <p class="poetry2">they sink down deep within.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>A clay vessel plated with a thin veneer of silver—</p> <p class="poetry2">that’s what smooth<span class="fn"><a href="#ftn" title="26:23 So LXX; MT reads burning">c</a></span> lips with a wicked heart are.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>Someone who hates hides behind his words,</p> <p class="poetry2">harboring deceit within himself.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>Though he speaks graciously, don’t believe him,</p> <p class="poetry2">for there are seven detestable things in his heart.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>Though malice disguises itself with deception,</p> <p class="poetry2">its evil will be exposed publicly.</p> <p class="poetry1 margintop"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,</p> <p class="poetry2">and the stone will come back</p> <p class="poetry2">on whoever starts it rolling.</p> <p class="poetry1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/proverbs/26-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>A lying tongue hates its victims,</p> <p class="poetry2">and a flattering mouth causes ruin.</p><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><A name="ftn"></a><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn1"><span class="fnb">a</span> 26:6 The Heb. lacks <i>his own</i><br /><span class="fnb">b</span> 26:17 Lit. <i>who, as he is passing by,</i><br /><span class="fnb">c</span> 26:23 So LXX; MT reads <i>burning</i><br /></span><br><br><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><div align="center"><div id="botbox"><div 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