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

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