Proverbs 26 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

Pro 26:1

Pro 26:1Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
so honor is not fitting for a fool.

Pro 26:2

Pro 26:2Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
a curse that is causeless does not alight.

Pro 26:3

Pro 26:3A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the back of fools.

Pro 26:4

Pro 26:4Answer not a fool according to his folly,
lest you be like him yourself.

Pro 26:5

Pro 26:5Answer a fool according to his folly,
lest he be wise in his own eyes.

Pro 26:6

Pro 26:6Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

Pro 26:7

Pro 26:7Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless,
is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Pro 26:8

Pro 26:8Like one who binds the stone in the sling
is one who gives honor to a fool.

Pro 26:9

Pro 26:9Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard
is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Pro 26:10

Pro 26:10Like an archer who wounds everyone
is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.[fn]

Pro 26:11

Pro 26:11Like a dog that returns to his vomit
is a fool who repeats his folly.

Pro 26:12

Pro 26:12Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Pro 26:13

Pro 26:13The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!
There is a lion in the streets!”

Pro 26:14

Pro 26:14As a door turns on its hinges,
so does a sluggard on his bed.

Pro 26:15

Pro 26:15The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.

Pro 26:16

Pro 26:16The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven men who can answer sensibly.

Pro 26:17

Pro 26:17Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own
is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.

Pro 26:18

Pro 26:18Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death

Pro 26:19

Pro 26:19is the man who deceives his neighbor
and says, “I am only joking!”

Pro 26:20

Pro 26:20For lack of wood the fire goes out,
and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.

Pro 26:21

Pro 26:21As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

Pro 26:22

Pro 26:22The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
they go down into the inner parts of the body.

Pro 26:23

Pro 26:23Like the glaze[fn] covering an earthen vessel
are fervent lips with an evil heart.

Pro 26:24

Pro 26:24Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips
and harbors deceit in his heart;

Pro 26:25

Pro 26:25when he speaks graciously, believe him not,
for there are seven abominations in his heart;

Pro 26:26

Pro 26:26though his hatred be covered with deception,
his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

Pro 26:27

Pro 26:27Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.

Pro 26:28

Pro 26:28A lying tongue hates its victims,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.

See the ESV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

ESV Footnotes

(26:10)

Or hires a fool or passersby

(26:23)

By revocalization; Hebrew silver of dross

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Books and Bibles, a Publishing Ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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For more information on this translation, see the ESV Preface.

Proverbs Chapter 26 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation New International Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras

Proverbs 26 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

ESV Footnotes

Proverbs Chapter 26 — Additional Translations:

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