| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New Living Translation |
| 1Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool. | 1Honor is no more associated with fools than snow with summer or rain with harvest. |
| 2Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, So a curse without cause does not alight. | 2Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim. |
| 3A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the back of fools. | 3Guide a horse with a whip, a donkey with a bridle, and a fool with a rod to his back! |
| 4Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him. | 4Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are. |
| 5Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes. | 5Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools, or they will become wise in their own estimation. |
| 6He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence Who sends a message by the hand of a fool. | 6Trusting a fool to convey a message is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison! |
| 7Like the legs which are useless to the lame, So is a proverb in the mouth of fools. | 7A proverb in the mouth of a fool is as useless as a paralyzed leg. |
| 8Like one who binds a stone in a sling, So is he who gives honor to a fool. | 8Honoring a fool is as foolish as tying a stone to a slingshot. |
| 9Like a thorn which falls into the hand of a drunkard, So is a proverb in the mouth of fools. | 9A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like a thorny branch brandished by a drunk. |
| 10Like an archer who wounds everyone, So is he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by. | 10An employer who hires a fool or a bystander is like an archer who shoots at random. |
| 11Like a dog that returns to its 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 wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. | 12There is more hope for fools than for people who think they are wise. |
| 13The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! A lion is in the open square!" | 13The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!” |
| 14As the door turns on its hinges, So does the sluggard on his bed. | 14As a door swings back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed. |
| 15The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again. | 15Lazy people take food in their hand but don’t even lift it to their mouth. |
| 16The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can give a discreet answer. | 16Lazy people consider themselves smarter than seven wise counselors. |
| 17Like one who takes a dog by the ears Is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him. | 17Interfering in someone else’s argument is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears. |
| 18Like a madman who throws Firebrands, arrows and death, | 18Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon |
| 19So is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, "Was I not joking?" | 19is someone who lies to a friend and then says, “I was only joking.” |
| 20For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down. | 20Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops. |
| 21Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife. | 21A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood. |
| 22The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body. | 22Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart. |
| 23Like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross Are burning lips and a wicked heart. | 23Smooth words may hide a wicked heart, just as a pretty glaze covers a clay pot. |
| 24He who hates disguises it with his lips, But he lays up deceit in his heart. | 24People may cover their hatred with pleasant words, but they’re deceiving you. |
| 25When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart. | 25They pretend to be kind, but don’t believe them. Their hearts are full of many evils. |
| 26Though his hatred covers itself with guile, His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly. | 26While their hatred may be concealed by trickery, their wrongdoing will be exposed in public. |
| 27He who digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him. | 27If you set a trap for others, you will get caught in it yourself. If you roll a boulder down on others, it will crush you instead. |
| 28A lying tongue hates those it crushes, And a flattering mouth works ruin. | 28A lying tongue hates its victims, and flattering words cause ruin. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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