Proverbs 26

¹As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest,

²As the sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying,

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

⁴Answer not a fool according to his folly,

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly,

⁶He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool

⁷The legs of the lame hang loose;

⁸As one that bindeth a stone in a sling,

⁹As a thorn that goeth up into the hand of a drunkard,

¹⁰As an archer that woundeth all,

¹¹As a dog that returneth to his vomit,

¹²Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit?

¹³The sluggard saith, There is a lion in the way;

¹⁴As the door turneth upon its hinges,

¹⁵The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish;

¹⁶The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit

¹⁷He that passeth by, and vexeth himself with strife belonging not to him,

¹⁸As a madman who casteth firebrands,

¹⁹So is the man that deceiveth his neighbor,

²⁰For lack of wood the fire goeth out;

²¹As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire,

²²The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels,

²³Fervent lips and a wicked heart

²⁴He that hateth dissembleth with his lips;

²⁵When he speaketh fair, believe him not;

²⁶Though his hatred cover itself with guile,

²⁷Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein;

²⁸A lying tongue hateth those whom it hath wounded;