Free Bible Version
Proverbs • Chapter 26
1
A curse that isn't deserved won't land on the person, like a fluttering sparrow or a flitting swallow.
2
Horses need a whip, donkeys need a bridle, and stupid people need a rod on their backs!
3
Don't answer stupid people following their stupidity, or you'll become as bad as them.
4
Answer stupid people following their stupidity, otherwise they'll think they're wise.
5
Have you seen a man who is wise in his own eyes? There's more hope for stupid people than for him!
6
Lazy people are the ones who say, “There's a lion on the road—a lion running around the streets!”
7
Lazy people put their hands in a dish, but are too tired to lift the food to their mouths.
8
if you lie to your friend and then say, “I was only joking!”
9
Without wood, the fire goes out; and without gossips, arguments stop.
10
Listening to gossip is like gulping down bites of your favorite food—they go deep down inside you.
11
People say nice things to you even though they hate you; deep down they're just lying to you.
12
When people talk nicely to you, don't believe them—their minds are full of hate for you.
13
Even though their hatred may be hidden by cunning tricks, their evil will be revealed to everyone.
14
Those who dig pits to trap others will fall in themselves, and those who start boulders rolling will be crushed themselves.
15
If you tell lies, you show you hate your victims; if you flatter people, you cause disaster.