Proverbs 26 - Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

26 Like snow in summer and rain at harvest,(A)
honor is inappropriate for a fool.(B)
2 Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow,(C)
an undeserved curse goes nowhere.(D)
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,(E)
and a rod for the backs of fools.(F)
4 Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness(G)
or you’ll be like him yourself.
5 Answer a fool according to his foolishness(H)
or he’ll become wise in his own eyes.(I)
6 The one who sends a message by a fool’s hand(J)
cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.(K)
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.[a]
9 A proverb in the mouth of a fool
is like a stick with thorns,
brandished by[b] 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 a fool repeats his foolishness.(L)
12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?(M)
There is more hope for a fool than for him.(N)

13 The slacker says, “There’s a lion in the road—
a lion in the public square!”(O)
14 A door turns on its hinges,
and a slacker, on his bed.(P)
15 The slacker buries his hand in the bowl;
he is too weary to bring it to his mouth.(Q)
16 In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser(R)
than seven men 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,(S)
19 so is the man who deceives his neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”

20 Without wood, fire goes out;
without a gossip, conflict dies down.(T)
21 As charcoal for embers and wood for fire,
so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.(U)
22 A gossip’s words are like choice food
that goes down to one’s innermost being.[c](V)

23 Smooth[d] lips with an evil heart
are like glaze on an earthen vessel.(W)
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 abominations in his heart.(X)
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.(Y)
28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes,
and a flattering mouth causes ruin.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:8 A stone bound in a sling would not release and could harm the person using the sling. A modern equivalent is jamming a cork in a gun barrel.
  2. Proverbs 26:9 Lit thorn that goes up into
  3. Proverbs 26:22 Lit to the chambers of the belly
  4. Proverbs 26:23 LXX; MT reads Burning

Cross references

  1. 26:1 : 1Sm 12:17
  2. 26:1 : Pr 17:7; 19:10
  3. 26:2 : Pr 27:8
  4. 26:2 : Nm 23:8; Dt 23:5; 2Sm 16:12
  5. 26:3 : Ps 32:9
  6. 26:3 : Pr 10:13; 19:29
  7. 26:4 : Pr 23:9; 29:9; Mt 7:6; Lk 23:9
  8. 26:5 : Mt 16:1-4; 21:24-27
  9. 26:5 : Pr 26:12; 28:11; Rm 12:16
  10. 26:6 : Pr 10:26; 25:13
  11. 26:6 : Pr 13:2
  12. 26:11 : 2Pt 2:22
  13. 26:12 : Pr 3:7; 26:5; Rm 12:16
  14. 26:12 : Pr 29:20
  15. 26:13 : Pr 22:13
  16. 26:14 : Pr 6:9-10; 19:15
  17. 26:15 : Pr 12:27; 19:24
  18. 26:16 : Pr 26:5, 12; 28:11
  19. 26:18 : Is 50:11
  20. 26:20 : Pr 16:28; 22:10
  21. 26:21 : Pr 15:18
  22. 26:22 : Pr 18:8
  23. 26:23 : Mt 23:27; Lk 11:39
  24. 26:25 : Ps 28:3
  25. 26:27 : Est 7:10; Jb 4:8; Pr 28:10; Dn 6:24; Mt 26:52

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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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