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.¹²

1. 26:2In this case, the ‘super’ in ‘superveniet’ means ‘beyond’ or ‘away,’ rather than ‘upon.’(Conte)
2. 26:2As 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)

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.¹

1. 26:4Answer not a fool, etc: Viz., so as to imitate him but only so as to reprove his folly.(Challoner)

⁵ Respond to the foolish according to his folly, lest he imagine himself to be wise.¹

1. 26:5Yes, these two verses actually do tell the reader to respond and not to respond.(Conte)

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.¹

1. 26:9If a drunkard had a thorn sticking out of his hand, he would repeatedly and inadvertently harm himself with it.(Conte)

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.

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.¹

1. 26:23Even 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)

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.