Proverbs 26 Comparison: Bible in Basic English vs New Heart English Bible

Proverbs 26

¹Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.

²As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.

³A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.

⁴Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.

⁵Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.

⁶He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.

⁷The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.

⁸Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.

⁹Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.

¹⁰Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.

¹¹Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.

¹²Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.

¹³The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

¹⁴A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.

¹⁵The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.

¹⁶The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.

¹⁷He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.

¹⁸As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,

¹⁹So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?

²⁰Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.

²¹Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.

²²The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.

²³Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.

²⁴With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;

²⁵When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:

²⁶Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.

²⁷He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.

²⁸A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.

Proverbs 26

¹Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.

²Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn't come to rest.

³A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools!

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

⁶One who sends a message by the hand of a fool is cutting off feet and drinking violence.

⁷Like the legs of the lame that hang loose: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

⁸As one who binds a stone in a sling, so is he who gives honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thornbush that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰As an archer who wounds all, so is he who hires a fool or he who hires those who pass by.

¹¹As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.

¹²Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion roams the streets!"

¹⁴As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed.

¹⁵The sluggard buries his hand in the dish. He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁶The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer with discretion.

¹⁷Like one who grabs a dog's ears is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own.

¹⁸Like a madman who shoots firebrands, arrows, and death,

¹⁹is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, "Am I not joking?"

²⁰For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.

²¹As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindling strife.

²²The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, they go down into the innermost parts.

²³Like silver dross on an earthen vessel are the lips of a fervent one with an evil heart.

²⁴A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but he harbors evil in his heart.

²⁵When his speech is charming, do not believe him; for there are seven abominations in his heart.

²⁶His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

²⁷Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering mouth works ruin.