New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Proverbs 26
1
It isn't proper to honor a foolish person. That's like having snow in summer or rain at harvest time.
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2
A curse given for no reason is like a wandering bird or a flying sparrow. It doesn't go anywhere.
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Curse
Numbers 23:8
Psalm 109:28
Nehemiah 13:2
1 Samuel 17:43
Parallel theme
2 Samuel 16:12
Proverbs 27:8
3
A whip is for a horse. A harness is for a donkey. And a beating is for the backs of foolish people.
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4
Don't answer a foolish person in keeping with his foolish acts. If you do, you will be like him yourself.
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5
Answer a foolish person in keeping with his foolish acts. If you do, he won't be wise in his own eyes.
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6
Sending a message in the hand of a foolish person is like cutting off your feet or drinking something harmful.
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9
A proverb in the mouth of a foolish person is like a thorn in the hand of someone who is drunk.
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Parallel theme
Proverbs 23:35
10
Anyone who hires a foolish person or someone who is passing by is like a person who shoots arrows at just anybody.
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11
A foolish person who does the same foolish things again is like a dog that returns to where it has thrown up.
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12
Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a foolish person than for him.
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13
A person who doesn't want to work says, "There's a lion in the road! There's an angry lion wandering in the streets!"
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14
A person who doesn't want to work turns over in bed just like a door that swings back and forth.
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Parallel theme
Hebrews 6:12
15
A person who doesn't want to work leaves his hand in the dish. He acts as if he is too tired to bring it back up to his mouth.
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Parallel theme
Proverbs 19:24
16
A person who doesn't want to work is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who give careful answers.
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17
Don't get mixed up in someone else's fight as you are passing by. That's like picking a dog up by its ears.
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18
Suppose a crazy person shoots flaming arrows that can kill.
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Parallel theme
Proverbs 25:18
19
A man who lies to his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!" is just like that person.
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20
If you don't have wood, your fire goes out. If you don't talk about others, arguing dies down.
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22
The words of anyone who talks about others are like tasty bites of food. They go deep down inside you.
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Word
Proverbs 18:8
24
Someone who wants to hurt you uses his words to hide his hatred. But his heart is full of lies that cover up his evil plans.
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25
What a person says can be charming. But don't believe him. Seven things that God hates can fill that person's heart.
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27
If anyone digs a pit, he will fall into it. If he rolls a big stone, it will roll back on him.
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Summary of Proverbs 26
Proverbs 26 gives a vivid description of foolish behavior and the damage it can create when people refuse wisdom, discipline, and self-control.
The chapter does not portray foolishness simply as a lack of intelligence; instead, it describes a pattern of behavior in which a person repeatedly ignores good judgment and continues making the same mistakes.
A fool may speak confidently, believe himself wise, and even repeat wise sayings, but his actions reveal that he does not truly understand them.
The chapter also shows that wisdom sometimes requires answering foolishness and sometimes requires refusing to engage with it, because the wrong response can make the wise person part of the problem. Another major picture is the lazy person who continually creates excuses, remains inactive, and eventually becomes convinced that his inactivity is reasonable. The chapter then moves toward the dangers of gossip, arguing, deception, and hidden hostility, showing how words can keep conflicts alive long after the original disagreement should have ended.
People who hide hatred behind friendly speech may eventually reveal their true intentions, and those who deliberately create trouble may ultimately suffer the consequences themselves.
Overall, Proverbs 26 describes wisdom as recognizing destructive patterns, refusing to imitate foolish behavior, controlling one's words, avoiding unnecessary conflicts, working responsibly, and looking beyond appearances to the character and intentions of people.
The chapter does not portray foolishness simply as a lack of intelligence; instead, it describes a pattern of behavior in which a person repeatedly ignores good judgment and continues making the same mistakes.
A fool may speak confidently, believe himself wise, and even repeat wise sayings, but his actions reveal that he does not truly understand them.
The chapter also shows that wisdom sometimes requires answering foolishness and sometimes requires refusing to engage with it, because the wrong response can make the wise person part of the problem. Another major picture is the lazy person who continually creates excuses, remains inactive, and eventually becomes convinced that his inactivity is reasonable. The chapter then moves toward the dangers of gossip, arguing, deception, and hidden hostility, showing how words can keep conflicts alive long after the original disagreement should have ended.
People who hide hatred behind friendly speech may eventually reveal their true intentions, and those who deliberately create trouble may ultimately suffer the consequences themselves.
Overall, Proverbs 26 describes wisdom as recognizing destructive patterns, refusing to imitate foolish behavior, controlling one's words, avoiding unnecessary conflicts, working responsibly, and looking beyond appearances to the character and intentions of people.