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As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.
As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.
The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
As he that bindeth ° a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.
As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.
As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.
The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.
The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.
He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.
So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?
Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious ° man to kindle strife.
The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;
When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.
Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be showed before the whole congregation.
Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.
A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.

New Defender's Study Bible Notes

26:2 the curse causeless. A curse uttered without justification will not be fulfilled, like birds flitting about without landing.


26:4 Answer not a fool. Proverbs 26:4,5, appears superficially to be in direct contradiction, but obviously the writer did not think of these as conflicting instructions, for he placed them back-to-back.


26:5 Answer a fool. When a person is given to foolish skeptical arguments related to God and His Word, it is a waste of time to argue with him. If, however, he is influencing others and becoming self-important in his delusion, it may be necessary to show up his folly by solid evidence.


26:11 to his vomit. See II Peter 2:22, where the same colorful metaphor is applied to false teachers returning to the pagan teaching from which they had made a profession of being saved.


26:12 his own conceit. In Proverbs 26:3-11, each verse contains a picturesque epithet against fools and their follies, yet the conclusion reached is that an arrogant man “wise in his own conceit” is even worse!


26:23 potsherd. A “potsherd” is a fragment of pottery.


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