Proverbs 26

¹As snow in the summer, and rain in the harvest: so is glory undecent for a fool.

²As a bird flying to other places, & a sparrow going whither he lift: so a curse uttered in vain shall light upon some man.

³A whip for a horse, and a snaffle for an ass, and a rod on the back of the unwise.

⁴Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou be made like to him.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he seem to himself to be wise.

⁶Lame of feet, and drinking iniquity, he that sendeth words by a foolish messenger.

⁷As a lame man hath fair legs in vain: so a parable is undecent in the mouth of fools.

⁸As he that casteth a stone into the heap of Mercury: so he that giveth honour to the unwise.

⁹As if a thorn should grow in the hand of the drunkard: so a parable in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰Judgement determineth causes: and he that putteth a fool to silence, appeaseth angers.

¹¹As a dog that returneth to his vomit, so the unwise that reiterateth his folly.

¹²Hast thou seen a man seem to himself wise? The fool shall have hope rather than he.

¹³The slothful saith: A lion is in the way, and a lioness in the journeys:

¹⁴as a door turneth on his hinge so the slothful in his bed.

¹⁵The slothful hideth his hand under the arm-hole, and is grieved if he turneth it to his mouth.

¹⁶The slothful seemeth wiser to himself, than seven men speaking sentences.

¹⁷As he that taketh a dog by the ears, so he that passeth by impatient, and meddleth with another man's brawl.

¹⁸As he is hurtful that shooteth arrows and spears unto death:

¹⁹so a man that hurteth his friend fraudulently: and when he is taken withal saith: I did it in jest.

²⁰When wood faileth, the fire shall be extinguished: and the whisperer taken away, brawls cease.

²¹As coals to burning coals, and wood to fire, so an angry man raiseth brawls.

²²The words of the whisperer as it were simple, and the same come to the inmost parts of the belly.

²³As if thou wouldest adorn an earthen vessel with drossy silver, so swelling lips joined with a most wicked heart.

²⁴An enemy is perceived by his lips, when he shall handle deceits in his heart.

²⁵When he shall submit his voice, believe him not: because there are seven mischiefs in his heart.

²⁶He that covereth hatred fraudulently, his malice shall be revealed in the councel.

²⁷He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that rolleth a stone, it shall return to him.

²⁸A deceitful tongue loveth not truth, and a slipper mouth worketh ruins.