New American Standard Bible | ►► |
Similitudes and Instructions 1Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool.
2Like a sparrow in its [a]flitting, like a swallow in its flying, So a curse without cause does not 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 [b]according to his foolishness, Or you will also be like him.
5Answer a fool as his foolishness deserves, So that he will not be wise in his own eyes.
6One who sends a message by the hand of a fool Chops off his own feet and drinks violence.
7Like [c]useless legs to one who cannot walk, So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
8Like [d]one who binds a stone in a sling, So is one who gives honor to a fool.
9Like a thorn that [e]sticks in the hand of a heavy drinker, So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
10[f]Like an archer who wounds everyone, So is one who hires a fool or hires those who pass by.
11Like a dog that returns to its vomit, So is a fool who repeats [g]his foolishness.
12Do you see a person wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13[h]A lazy one says, “There is a lion on the road! A lion is [i]in the public square!”
14As the door turns on its hinges, So does a lazy one on his bed.
15A lazy one buries his hand in the dish; He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.
16A lazy one is wiser in his own eyes Than seven people who can [j]give a discreet answer.
17Like one who takes a dog by the ears, So is one who passes by and [k]meddles with strife not belonging to him.
18Like a maniac who shoots Flaming arrows, arrows, and death,
19So is a person who deceives his neighbor, And says, “Was I not joking?”
20For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no gossiper, quarreling quiets down.
21Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious |
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