Proverbs 26

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¹As snow in summer, and rain in harvest; so glory is unseemly to a fool.

²For as a bird flying over to high things, and as a sparrow going into uncertain; so cursing brought forth without reasonable cause shall come above into some man.

³Beating be to an horse, and a bridle to an ass; and a rod to the back of unprudent men.

⁴Answer thou not to a fool after his folly, lest thou be made like him.

⁵Answer thou a fool after his folly, lest he seem to himself to be wise.

⁶An halting man in feet, and drinking wickedness, he that sendeth words by a fond or foolish messenger.

⁷As an halting man hath fair legs in vain; so a parable is unseemly in the mouth of fools.

⁸As he that sendeth a stone into the broad place of the sling; so he that giveth honour to an unwise man.

⁹As if a thorn groweth in the hand of a drunken man; so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰Doom determineth causes; and he that setteth silence to a fool, assuageth ires or wraths.

¹¹As a dog that turneth again to his spewing or As an hound that turneth again to his vomit; so is an unprudent man, that rehearseth his folly.

¹²Thou hast seen a man seem wise to himself; an unknowing man shall have hope more than he.

¹³A slow man saith, A lion is in the way, a lioness is in the footpaths.

¹⁴As a door is turned in his hinges; so a slow man in his bed.

¹⁵A slow man hideth his hands under his armpit; and he travaileth, if he turneth them up to his mouth.

¹⁶A slow man seemeth wiser to himself, than seven men speaking sentences.

¹⁷As he that taketh a dog by the ears; so he that passeth, and is unpatient, and is meddled or mingled with the chiding of another man.

¹⁸As he is guilty, that sendeth spears and arrows into death,

¹⁹so a man that annoyeth guilefully his friend, and when he is taken, he shall say, I did playing.

²⁰When trees or woods shall fail, the fire shall be quenched; and when a privy backbiter is withdrawn, strives rest.

²¹As dead coals at or to quick coals, and trees at the fire or wood to fire; so a wrathful man raiseth chidings.

²²The words of a privy backbiter be as simple; and those or they come till to the innerest things of the heart.

²³As if thou wouldest adorn a vessel of earth with the dross of silver, so be swelling lips fellowshipped with a full wicked heart.

²⁴An enemy is understood by his lips, when he treateth guiles in his heart.

²⁵When he maketh low his voice, believe thou not to him; for seven wickednesses be in his heart.

²⁶The malice of him that covereth hatred guilefully, shall be showed in a council.

²⁷He that delveth a ditch, shall fall into it; and if a man walloweth a stone, it shall turn again to him.

²⁸A false tongue loveth not the truth; and a slippery mouth worketh fallings.