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Proverbs 26

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

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¹ Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, ⓐ honor is inappropriate for a fool. ⓑ

² Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow, ⓒ an undeserved curse goes nowhere. ⓓ

³ A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, ⓔ and a rod for the backs of fools. ⓕ

⁴ Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness ⓖ or you’ll be like him yourself.

⁵ Answer a fool according to his foolishness ⓗ or he’ll become 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. ⓚ

⁷ A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like lame legs that hang limp.

⁸ Giving honor to a fool is like binding a stone in a sling.

⁹ A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like a stick with thorns, brandished by [1] the hand of a drunkard.

¹⁰ The one who hires a fool or who hires those passing by is like an archer who wounds everyone.

¹¹ As a dog returns to its vomit, so also a fool repeats his foolishness. ⓛ

¹² Do you see a person 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!” ⓐ

¹⁴ A door turns on its hinges, and a slacker, on his bed. ⓑ

¹⁵ The slacker buries his hand in the bowl; he is too weary to bring it to his mouth! ⓒ

¹⁶ In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser ⓓ than seven who can answer sensibly.

¹⁷ A person who is passing by and meddles in a quarrel that’s not his is like one who grabs a dog by the ears.

¹⁸ Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows, ⓔ

¹⁹ so is the person who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”

²⁰ Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down. ⓕ

²¹ As charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. ⓖ

²² A gossip’s words are like choice food that goes down to one’s innermost being. [2] ⓗ

²³ Smooth [3] lips with an evil heart are like glaze on an earthen vessel. ⓘ

²⁴ A hateful person disguises himself with his speech and harbors deceit within.

²⁵ When he speaks graciously, don’t believe him, for there are seven detestable things in his heart. ⓙ

²⁶ Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his evil will be revealed 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. ⓚ

²⁸ A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.

#	CSB
1	Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, ⓐ honor is inappropriate for a fool. ⓑ
2	Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow, ⓒ an undeserved curse goes nowhere. ⓓ
3	A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, ⓔ and a rod for the backs of fools. ⓕ
4	Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness ⓖ or you’ll be like him yourself.
5	Answer a fool according to his foolishness ⓗ or he’ll become 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. ⓚ
7	A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like lame legs that hang limp.
8	Giving honor to a fool is like binding a stone in a sling.
9	A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like a stick with thorns, brandished by [1] the hand of a drunkard.
10	The one who hires a fool or who hires those passing by is like an archer who wounds everyone.
11	As a dog returns to its vomit, so also a fool repeats his foolishness. ⓛ
12	Do you see a person 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!” ⓐ
14	A door turns on its hinges, and a slacker, on his bed. ⓑ
15	The slacker buries his hand in the bowl; he is too weary to bring it to his mouth! ⓒ
16	In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser ⓓ than seven who can answer sensibly.
17	A person who is passing by and meddles in a quarrel that’s not his is like one who grabs a dog by the ears.
18	Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows, ⓔ
19	so is the person who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”
20	Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down. ⓕ
21	As charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. ⓖ
22	A gossip’s words are like choice food that goes down to one’s innermost being. [2] ⓗ
23	Smooth [3] lips with an evil heart are like glaze on an earthen vessel. ⓘ
24	A hateful person disguises himself with his speech and harbors deceit within.
25	When he speaks graciously, don’t believe him, for there are seven detestable things in his heart. ⓙ
26	Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his evil will be revealed 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. ⓚ
28	A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.

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