| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard 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 is inappropriate for a fool. |
| 2Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight. | 2Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow, an undeserved curse goes nowhere. |
| 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. | 4Don't answer a fool according to his foolishness or you'll be like him yourself. |
| 5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. | 5Answer a fool according to his foolishness or he'll become wise in his own eyes. |
| 6Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. | 6The one who sends a message by a fool's hand cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. |
| 7Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools. | 7A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like lame legs that hang limp. |
| 8Like one who binds the stone in the sling is one who gives honor to a fool. | 8Giving honor to a fool is like binding a stone in a sling. |
| 9Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools. | 9A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like a stick with thorns, brandished by the hand of a drunkard. |
| 10Like an archer who wounds everyone is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard. | 10The one who hires a fool or who hires those passing by is like an archer who wounds everyone. |
| 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 foolishness. |
| 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, "There's a lion in the road-- a lion in the public square!" |
| 14As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed. | 14A door turns on its hinges, and a slacker, 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 bowl; he is too weary to bring it to his mouth. |
| 16The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly. | 16In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser than seven men who can answer sensibly. |
| 17Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears. | 17A person who is passing by and meddles in a quarrel that's not his is like one who grabs a dog by the ears. |
| 18Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death | 18Like a madman who throws flaming darts 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, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down. |
| 21As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. | 21As 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. | 22A gossip's words are like choice food that goes down to one's innermost being. |
| 23Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart. | 23Smooth lips with an evil heart are like glaze on an earthen vessel. |
| 24Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; | 24A hateful person disguises himself with his speech and harbors deceit within. |
| 25when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; | 25When he speaks graciously, don't believe him, for there are seven abominations in 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 evil will be revealed in the assembly. |
| 27Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling. | 27The one who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever rolls a stone-- it will come 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. |
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