Proverbs 26 - Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)

Assorted Fools

26 Like snow during summer and rain during the harvest,
so honor is not appropriate for a fool.
2 Like a migrating bird or a flying swallow,
so an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
3 A whip is for horses, a bridle for donkeys,
and a rod for the backs of fools.

4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly.
If you do, you yourself will become like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly.
If you do not, he will consider himself wise.

6 It is like cutting off your own feet or drinking violence[a]
when a person sends messages in the hand of a fool.
7 The legs of a lame person dangle.
So does a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8 Giving honor to a fool is
like tying a stone in a slingshot.
9 A proverb in the mouth of a fool
is like a thorn in a drunkard’s hand.
10 One who hires a fool or someone just passing by
is like an archer who wounds at random.[b]
11 As a dog returns to his vomit,
so a fool repeats his stupidity.
12 Have you seen a person who is wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.

13 A lazy person says, “There’s a ferocious lion in the street.
There’s a lion in the public square!”
14 A door turns on its hinges,
and a lazy person turns on his bed.
15 A lazy person buries his hand in a dish,
but he is too tired to return it to his mouth.
16 A lazy person considers himself wiser
than seven people who answer sensibly.

17 A passerby who meddles in a quarrel that is not his
is like a person who grabs a dog by the ears.
18 A person who deceives his neighbor and then says, “I was only joking,”
19 is like a madman who shoots firebrands and deadly arrows.[c]

20 When there is no more wood, a fire goes out,
and without gossip, a quarrel dies down.
21 As charcoal is to hot embers and as wood is to fire,
so a quarrelsome person is to igniting a fight.

22 Words of a gossip are like food that is easy to swallow.
They go down to the depths of one’s heart.[d]
23 Fervent[e] lips and an evil heart
are like a glaze[f] covering a clay pot.
24 With his lips a person hides his hatred,
but he hides deceit inside.
25 When his voice sounds gracious, do not believe him,
because seven abominations are in his heart.
26 His hatred covers itself with deceit,
but his evil will be revealed in the assembly.

27 The person who digs a pit will fall into it.
The person who rolls away a stone—it will roll back over him.
28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes,
and a smooth mouth causes ruin.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:6 Or poison
  2. Proverbs 26:10 The meaning of this verse is uncertain.
  3. Proverbs 26:19 Elements of verses 18 and 19 were rearranged to get smooth English word order.
  4. Proverbs 26:22 Literally the innermost rooms of the belly
  5. Proverbs 26:23 The translation follows the Hebrew. The Greek Old Testament reads smooth.
  6. Proverbs 26:23 The Hebrew text reads silver dross. Combining two Hebrew words into one word yields the translation glaze.

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Proverbs 26 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

26 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honour [is] not comely for a fool. 2 As a bird by wandering, as a swallow by flying, So reviling without cause doth not come. 3 A whip is for a horse, a bridle for an ass, And a rod for the back of fools. 4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, Le...
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Proverbs 26 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

26 As snow in summer, and rain in harvest; so glory is unseemly to a fool. (Like snow in summer, and rain at harvest; so glory is unbecoming to a fool.) 2 For as a bird flying over to high things, and as a sparrow going into uncertain; so cursing brought forth without reasonable cause shall come abo...
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Proverbs 26 - World English Bible (WEB)

26 Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.2 Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn’t come to rest.3 A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools!4 Don’t answer a fool according to ...
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Proverbs 26 - The Voice (VOICE)

26 Like snow in the summer and rain in the time of harvest, so honor is never fitting for a fool.2 Like a bird that flits and flutters or a swallow in mid-flight, so a curse that lacks cause will never come to light.3 A whip is for the horse, a bridle is for the donkey, and a rod is for the fool’s b...
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Proverbs 26 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Folly of Fools26 Like snow in summer or rain at harvest,so honor is not fitting for a fool.2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a flying swallow,so an undeserved curse does not land.3 A whip for a horse, a bridle for a donkey,and a rod for the back of fools.4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,el...
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Proverbs 26 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

26 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the back of fools.4 Answer not a fool according to his f...
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Proverbs 26 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

26 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the back of fools.4 Answer not a fool according to his f...
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Proverbs 26 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

26 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honour is not fitting for a fool.2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, an undeserved curse goes nowhere.3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools.4 Do not answer fools according to their fo...
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Proverbs 26 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

26 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.(A)2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, an undeserved curse goes nowhere.(B)3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools.(C)4 Do not answer fools according to ...
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Proverbs 26 - New Living Translation (NLT)

26 Honor is no more associated with fools than snow with summer or rain with harvest. 2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim. 3 Guide a horse with a whip, a donkey with a bridle, and a fool with a rod to his back! 4 Don’t answer the...
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Proverbs 26 - New Life Version (NLV)

26 Like snow in summer and like rain at gathering time, so honor is not right for a fool. 2 Like a sparrow in its traveling, like a swallow in its flying, so bad words said against someone without reason do not come to rest. 3 A whip is for the horse, leather ropes are for the donkey, and a stick is...
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Proverbs 26 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Honor Is Not Fitting for a Fool26 As snow in summer (A)and rain in harvest,So honor is not fitting for a fool. 2 Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow,So (B)a curse without cause shall not alight. 3 (C)A whip for the horse,A bridle for the donkey,And a rod for the fool’s back.4 Do not answe...
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Proverbs 26 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

26 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honour is not fitting for a fool.2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or ...
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Proverbs 26 - New International Version (NIV)

26 Like snow in summer or rain(A) in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.(B)2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.(C)3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,(D) and a rod for the backs of fools!(E)4 Do not answer a fool according to ...
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Proverbs 26 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

26 It isn’t proper to honor a foolish person. That’s like having snow in summer or rain at harvest time. 2 A curse given for no reason is like a wandering bird or a flying sparrow. It doesn’t go anywhere. 3 A whip is for a horse, and a harness is for a donkey. And a beating is for the backs of fooli...
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Proverbs 26 - New English Translation (NET)

26 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,so honor[a] is not fitting for a fool.[b]2 Like a fluttering bird or like a flying swallow,so a curse without cause[c] does not come to rest.[d]3 A whip for the horse and a bridle for the donkey,and a rod for the backs of fools![e]4 Do not answer a fool acco...
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