ESV - Proverbs Chapter 26 to 28

26 26:1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool. ²Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight. ³A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. ⁴Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. ⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. ⁶Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool 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. ⁸Like one who binds the stone in the sling is one who gives honor to a fool. ⁹Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools. ¹⁰Like an archer who wounds everyone is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.^[1]¹¹Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who 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. ¹³The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!” ¹⁴As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed. ¹⁵The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth. ¹⁶The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes 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. ¹⁸Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death ¹⁹is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I am only joking!” ²⁰For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. ²¹As charcoal to hot embers and wood to 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. ²³Like the glaze[2] covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart. ²⁴Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; ²⁵when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; ²⁶though his hatred be covered with 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. ²⁸A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

[1] Or hires a fool or passersby [2] By revocalization; Hebrew silver of dross

27 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. ²Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. ³A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both. ⁴Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? ⁵Better is open rebuke than hidden love. ⁶Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. ⁷One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet. ⁸Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home. ⁹Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.^[3]¹⁰Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away. ¹¹Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him who reproaches me. ¹²The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. ¹³Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.^[4]¹⁴Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing. ¹⁵A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike; ¹⁶to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp[5] oil in one’s right hand. ¹⁷Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.^[6]¹⁸Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored. ¹⁹As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man. ²⁰Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man. ²¹The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise. ²²Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his folly will not depart from him.

²³Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, ²⁴for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations? ²⁵When the grass is gone and the new growth appears and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered, ²⁶the lambs will provide your clothing, and the goats the price of a field. ²⁷There will be enough goats’ milk for your food, for the food of your household and maintenance for your girls.

[3] Or and so does the sweetness of a friend that comes from his earnest counsel [4] Hebrew a foreign woman; slight emendation yields (compare Vulgate; see also 20:16) for foreigners [5] Hebrew to meet with [6] Hebrew sharpens the face of another

28 28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. ²When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue. ³A poor man who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food. ⁴Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them. ⁵Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely. ⁶Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. ⁷The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father. ⁸Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit[7] gathers it for him who is generous to the poor. ⁹If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. ¹⁰Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance. ¹¹A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has understanding will find him out. ¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves. ¹³Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. ¹⁴Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity. ¹⁵Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people. ¹⁶A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days. ¹⁷If one is burdened with the blood of another, he will be a fugitive until death;[8] let no one help him. ¹⁸Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall. ¹⁹Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty. ²⁰A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. ²¹To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong. ²²A stingy man[9] hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him. ²³Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue. ²⁴Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, “That is no transgression,” is a companion to a man who destroys. ²⁵A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched. ²⁶Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. ²⁷Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse. ²⁸When the wicked rise, people hide themselves, but when they perish, the righteous increase.

[7] That is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor [8] Hebrew until the pit [9] Hebrew A man whose eye is evil