26

  1Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
   honor is not fitting for a fool.
  2Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
   an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
  3A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
   and a rod for the backs of fools!
  4Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
   or you yourself will be just like him.
  5Answer a fool according to his folly,
   or he will be wise in his own eyes.
  6Sending a message by the hands of a fool
   is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
  7Like the useless legs of one who is lame
   is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
  8Like tying a stone in a sling
   is the giving of honor to a fool.
  9Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
   is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
  10Like an archer who wounds at random
   is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
  11As a dog returns to its vomit,
   so fools repeat their folly.
  12Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?
   There is more hope for a fool than for them.

  13A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road,
   a fierce lion roaming the streets!”
  14As a door turns on its hinges,
   so a sluggard turns on his bed.
  15A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
   he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
  16A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
   than seven people who answer discreetly.

  17Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
   is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.

  18Like a maniac shooting
   flaming arrows of death
  19is one who deceives their neighbor
   and says, “I was only joking!”

  20Without wood a fire goes out;
   without a gossip a quarrel dies down.
  21As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
   so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
  22The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
   they go down to the inmost parts.

  23Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
   are fervent lips with an evil heart.
  24Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,
   but in their hearts they harbor deceit.
  25Though their speech is charming, do not believe them,
   for seven abominations fill their hearts.
  26Their malice may be concealed by deception,
   but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
  27Whoever digs a pit will fall into it;
   if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.
  28A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
   and a flattering mouth works ruin.

26

  1Lub koob meej muab rua tug kws ruag
   kuj tsw phim yaam nkaus le
  daus xwb daus npu lug rua lub caij ntuj kub
   hab naag lug rua lub caij sau qoob.
  2Yog yug tsw tau ua txhum
   mas tej lug foom tsw zoo yuav tsw raug
  ib yaam le tug noog piv kws yaa moog yaa lug
   hab yaam le tug luv kws yaa tsw tsaws.
  3Raab nplawm swv nplawm neeg,
   txuj xauv swv saam neeg luav,
  mas raab nplawm swv nplawm
   tug ruag nraus qaum.
  4Tsw xob teb tug ruag lawv le nwg txujkev ruag
   tsaam tes koj tsua zoo nkaus le nwg lawm.
  5Ca le teb tug ruag lawv le nwg txujkev ruag,
   tsaam tes nwg pum tas nwg ntse lawm.
  6Tug kws tso tug tuabneeg ruag xaa xuv
   kuj yog nwg txav nwg kwtaw pov tseg
   hab haus kev ab kev khwv.
  7Tej paaj lug kws nyob
   huv tug ruag lub qhov ncauj
  zoo ib yaam nkaus le
   txhais kwtaw kws luv dai vag swv tsw tau.
  8Tug kws muab koob meej rua tug kws ruag
   zoo ib yaam nkaus le nwg muab
   lub qai zeb hlaws khi rua ntawm txuj roj maab.
  9Tej paaj lug kws nyob
   huv tug ruag lub qhov ncauj
  zoo ib yaam nkaus le tug saus
   kws nyob huv tug qaug cawv txhais teg.
  10Tug kws ndav tug tuabneeg ruag
   lossws tug kws qaug cawv kws dua kev,
  kuj zoo ib yaam le tug kws tua neev ywj tua
   raug txhua leej txhua tug.
  11Tug ruag kws ua qhov ruag taag los ua thab,
   kuj zoo ib yaam nkaus le
   tug dev kws rov noj nwg cov ntuav.
  12Koj pum tug kws nwg xaav has tas
   nwg ntse los tsw pum?
   Tseed muaj vaam
   tug kws ruag heev dua le tug ntawd.
  13Tug cis nkeeg has tas,
   “Muaj tsuv ntxhuav nyob tom kev.
   Muaj tsuv ntxhuav nyob ntawm ntug moos.”
  14Lub qhov rooj qoj tau moog lug
   ntawm tug puab rooj le caag,
  tug cis nkeeg kuj ntxeev luj luam
   sau nwg lub txaaj pw ib yaam le ntawd.
  15Tug cis nkeeg muab txhais teg
   tsau rua huv lub phaaj,
  nwg nqaa txhais teg rua ntawm qhov ncauj
   txug sav kawg.
  16Tug kws cis nkeeg pum tas nwg ntse dua
   xyaa leej kws teb tau tej lug thoob tswb to nrog.
  17Tug kws ntxwg ceg rua huv luas tej lug
   sws caav sws tshe kws tsw thaab raug nwg,
  kuj zoo ib yaam le tug kws ntsab tug dev
   kws dha hlaa moog nplooj ntseg.
  18-19Tug kws daag lwm tug lawm
   los tsua has tas, “Kuv laam tawb koj xwb,”
  tes kuj zoo yaam le tug tuabneeg vwm
   kws laim hlaav suavtawg
   hab tua raab xub hab kev tuag tawm moog.
  
  20Yog tawg taag lawm suavtawg kuj tuag,
   hab yog tsw muaj tuabneeg lig xaiv
   kuj tseg tsw muaj lug sws caav sws tshe.
  21Thee ua rua cub tawg caj ncaig vug,
   hab tawg ua rua nplaim tawg ci le caag,
  tug kws pheej sws caav sws tshe
   tshaum kuas muaj lug sws caav sws tshe
   ib yaam le ntawd.
  22Tug lig xaiv tej lug
   zoo yaam nkaus tej zaub mov qaab qaab,
   kws nkaag hlo moog rua huv plaab.
  23Daim tawv ncauj nplag lub sab phem
   kuj zoo yaam nkaus le cov kua tshuaj
   kws muab luam rua lub taig aav.
  24Tug kws ntxub luas
   mas nwg daim tawv ncuaj zais lug,
   hab nwg cib nyeej rua nruab sab.
  25Thaus nwg has lug mog lug muas
   tsw xob ntseeg nwg
   tsua qhov ib puas tsaav yaam
   txujkev ntxub ntxaug nyob huv nwg lub sab.
  26Txawm yog nwg muaj tswvyim
   npog nwg txujkev ntxub ntxaug ca
  los nwg txujkev limham yuav tshwm plawg lug
   rua ib tsoom tuabneeg pum.
  27Tug kws khawb qhov taub cuab luas,
   nwg yuav poob rua huv lub qhov hov,
  tug kws dov pob zeb lug
   nwg yuav raug pob zeb tais.
  28Tug nplaig kws daag,
   ntxub tug kws nwg rhuav tshem,
  hab lub ncauj qaab rog qaab ntse
   coj kev puam tsuaj lug ze.