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The Proverbs

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

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- Chapter 26 -

The fool and his folly

1
In the manner of snow in the summer, and rain at the harvest, so also is glory unfit for the foolish.
2
Like a bird flying away to another place, and like a sparrow that hurries away freely, so also a curse uttered against someone without cause will pass away.(a) (b)
3
A whip is for a horse, and a muzzle is for donkey, and a rod is for the back of the imprudent.
4
Do not respond to the foolish according to his folly, lest you become like him.(c)
5
Respond to the foolish according to his folly, lest he imagine himself to be wise.(d)
6
Whoever sends words by a foolish messenger has lame feet and drinks iniquity.
7
In the manner of a lame man who has beautiful legs to no purpose, so also is a parable unfit for the mouth of the foolish.
8
Just like one who casts a stone into the pile of Mercury, so also is he who gives honor to the foolish.
9
In the manner of a thorn, if it were to spring up from the hand of a drunkard, so also is a parable in the mouth of the foolish.(e)
10
Judgment determines cases. And whoever imposes silence on the foolish mitigates anger.
11
Like a dog that returns to his vomit, so also is the imprudent who repeats his foolishness.
12
Have you seen a man who seems wise to himself? There will be greater hope held for the unwise than for him.

The lazy and the lying tongue

13
The lazy one says, “There is a lion along the way, and a lioness in the roads.”
14
Just as a door turns upon its hinges, so also does the lazy one turn upon his bed.
15
The lazy one conceals his hand under his arms, and it is a labor for him to move it to his mouth.
16
The lazy one seems wiser to himself than seven men speaking judgments.
17
Just like one who takes hold of a dog by the ears, so also is he who crosses impatiently and meddles in the quarrels of another.
18
Just as he is guilty who let loose the arrows and the lances unto death,
19
so also is the man who harms his friend by deceitfulness. And when he has been apprehended, he says, “I did it jokingly.”
20
When the wood fails, the fire will be extinguished. And when the gossiper is taken away, conflicts will be quelled.
21
Just as charcoals are to burning coals, and wood is to fire, so also is an angry man who stirs up quarrels.
22
The words of a whisperer seem simple, but they penetrate to the innermost parts of the self.
23
In the same manner as an earthen vessel, if it were adorned with impure silver, conceited lips are allied with a wicked heart.(f)
24
An enemy is known by his lips, though it is from his heart that he draws out deceit.
25
When he will have lowered his voice, do not believe him, for there are seven vices in his heart.
26
Whoever covers hatred with deceit, his malice shall be revealed in the assembly.
27
Whoever digs a pit will fall into it. And whoever rolls a stone, it will roll back to him.
28
A false tongue does not love truth. And a slippery mouth works ruin.

Footnotes

(a)26:2 In this case, the ‘super’ in ‘superveniet’ means ‘beyond’ or ‘away,’ rather than ‘upon.’(Conte)
(b)26:2 As a bird, etc:The meaning is, that a curse uttered without cause shall do no harm to the person that is cursed, but will return upon him that curses, as wherever a bird flies, it returns to its own nest.(Challoner)
(c)26:4 Answer not a fool, etc:Viz., so as to imitate him but only so as to reprove his folly.(Challoner)
(d)26:5 Yes, these two verses actually do tell the reader to respond and not to respond.(Conte)
(e)26:9 If a drunkard had a thorn sticking out of his hand, he would repeatedly and inadvertently harm himself with it.(Conte)
(f)26:23 Even though ‘pessimo’ is superlative, the translation does not need to use the grammatical superlative because ‘wicked’ includes a superlative meaning, i.e. most bad or very bad.(Conte)
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