Proverbs 26
Expanded Bible
26 It shouldn’t snow in summer or rain at harvest.
Neither should a foolish person ever be honored.
2 Curses ·will not harm someone who is innocent [that are undeserved never stick];
they are like ·darting [flitting] birds or flying swallows.
3 Whips are for horses, and ·harnesses [bridles] are for donkeys,
·so paddles are good for fools [L and rods for the backs of fools].
4 Don’t answer fools when they speak foolishly,
or you will be just like them.
5 Answer fools when they speak foolishly,
or they will ·think they are really wise [L be wise in their own eyes; C a wise person must read the situation to know whether to answer or not].
6 Sending a message by a foolish person
is like cutting off your feet or drinking ·poison [L violence].
7 A ·wise saying spoken by [L proverb in the mouth of] a fool
·is as useless as [L dangles like] the legs of a crippled person.
8 Giving honor to a foolish person
is like ·tying a stone [L a bag of stones] in a slingshot.
9 A ·wise saying spoken by [L proverb in the mouth of] a fool
is like a ·thorn stuck in the hand of a drunk [L thornbush in the hand of a fool].
10 Hiring a foolish person or anyone just passing by
is like an archer shooting ·at just anything [randomly].
11 A fool who repeats his ·foolishness [foolish mistakes]
is like a dog that goes back to ·what it has thrown up [its vomit; 2 Pet. 2:22].
12 There is more hope for a foolish person
than for those who ·think they are wise [L are wise in their own eyes].
13 The lazy person says, “There’s a lion in the ·road [path]!
There’s a lion in the streets!”
14 Like a door turning back and forth on its hinges,
the lazy person turns over and over in bed.
15 Lazy people may ·put [L bury] their hands in the dish,
but they are ·too tired [or not able] to lift the food to their mouths.
16 The lazy person ·thinks he is wiser [L is wiser in his own eyes]
than seven people who give sensible answers.
17 Interfering in ·someone else’s quarrel as you pass by [or a fight not your own]
is like grabbing a dog by the ears [L as it passes by; C the idea of passing by can go with either line].
18 Like a madman shooting
deadly, burning arrows
19 is the one who ·tricks [deceives] a neighbor
and then says, “I was just joking.”
20 Without wood, a fire ·will go out [is extinguished],
and without gossip, ·quarreling will stop [conflict calms down].
21 Just as charcoal and wood keep a fire going,
a quarrelsome person ·keeps an argument going [kindles accusations].
22 The words of a gossip are like ·tasty bits of food [choice morsels];
·people like to gobble them up [L they go down to the inmost parts].
23 ·Kind words [L Smooth lips] from a wicked ·mind [L heart]
are like ·a shiny [silver] coating on a clay pot.
24 Those who hate you may try to ·fool [trick] you with their ·words [L lips],
but ·in their minds [inside] they ·are planning evil [L set deception].
25 People’s ·words [L voice] may be ·kind [gracious], but don’t believe them,
because ·their minds are full of evil thoughts [L seven abominations are in their heart; C seven is the number of completion].
26 ·Lies [Trickery; Guile] can ·hide [cover] hate,
but the evil will be ·plain to everyone [L revealed in the assembly].
27 Whoever digs a pit for others will fall into it.
Whoever tries to roll a boulder down on others will ·be crushed by it [L have it turn back on them].
28 ·Liars [L Lying tongues] hate the people they ·hurt [crush],
and ·false praise [L a flattering tongue] can ruin others.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
