1Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,

so honour is not fitting for a fool.

2Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,

an undeserved curse goes nowhere.

3A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

and a rod for the back of fools.

4Do not answer fools according to their folly,

or you will be a fool yourself.

5Answer fools according to their folly,

or they will be wise in their own eyes.

6It is like cutting off one's foot and drinking down violence,

to send a message by a fool.

7The legs of a disabled person hang limp;

so does a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

8It is like binding a stone in a sling

to give honour to a fool.

9Like a thornbush brandished by the hand of a drunkard

is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

10Like an archer who wounds everybody

is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.26.10 Meaning of Heb uncertain

11Like a dog that returns to its vomit

is a fool who reverts to his folly.

12Do you see persons wise in their own eyes?

There is more hope for fools than for them.

13The lazy person says, ‘There is a lion in the road!

There is a lion in the streets!’

14As a door turns on its hinges,

so does a lazy person in bed.

15The lazy person buries a hand in the dish,

and is too tired to bring it back to the mouth.

16The lazy person is wiser in self-esteem

than seven who can answer discreetly.

17Like somebody who takes a passing dog by the ears

is one who meddles in the quarrel of another.

18Like a maniac who shoots deadly firebrands and arrows,

19so is one who deceives a neighbour

and says, ‘I am only joking!’

20For lack of wood the fire goes out,

and where there is no whisperer, quarrelling ceases.

21As charcoal is to hot embers and wood to fire,

so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.

22The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;

they go down into the inner parts of the body.

23Like the glaze26.23 Cn: Heb silver of dross covering an earthen vessel

are smooth26.23 Gk: Heb burning lips with an evil heart.

24An enemy dissembles in speaking

while harbouring deceit within;

25when an enemy speaks graciously, do not believe it,

for there are seven abominations concealed within;

26though hatred is covered with guile,

the enemy's wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

27Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,

and a stone will come back on the one who starts it rolling.

28A lying tongue hates its victims,

and a flattering mouth works ruin.