| English Standard Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool. | 1Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, honor does not befit a fool. |
| 2Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight. | 2Like a fluttering sparrow or darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. |
| 3A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. | 3A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools! |
| 4Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. | 4Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be like him. |
| 5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. | 5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes. |
| 6Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. | 6Like cutting off one’s own feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool. |
| 7Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools. | 7Like lame legs hanging limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. |
| 8Like one who binds the stone in the sling is one who gives honor to a fool. | 8Like binding a stone into a sling is the giving of honor to a fool. |
| 9Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools. | 9Like a thorn that falls into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. |
| 10Like an archer who wounds everyone is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard. | 10Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or passerby. |
| 11Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. | 11As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. |
| 12Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. | 12Do you see a man who is 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! There is a lion in the streets!” | 13The slacker says, “A lion is in the road! A fierce lion roams the public square!” |
| 14As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed. | 14As a door turns on its hinges, so the slacker turns on his bed. |
| 15The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth. | 15The slacker buries his hand in the dish; it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth. |
| 16The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly. | 16The slacker is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly. |
| 17Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears. | 17Like one who grabs a dog by the ears is a passerby who meddles in a quarrel not his own. |
| 18Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death | 18Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows, |
| 19is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I am only joking!” | 19so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!” |
| 20For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. | 20Without wood, a fire goes out; without gossip, a conflict ceases. |
| 21As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. | 21Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. |
| 22The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. | 22The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being. |
| 23Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart. | 23Like glaze covering an earthen vessel are burning lips and a wicked heart. |
| 24Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; | 24A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart. |
| 25when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; | 25When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart. |
| 26though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. | 26Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. |
| 27Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling. | 27He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him. |
| 28A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin. | 28A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. |
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