Proverbs 26 (Mishlei) in Hebrew and English
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Text (469) 608-9944Proverbs, Chapter 26
Sayings about the fool, to whom honour is not seemly and who returns to his folly as a dog to his vomit; the slothful man who says there is a lion in the way; the meddler, the deceiver and the talebearer; and the hater who hides deceit behind fair speech.
26:1As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.
אכַּשֶּׁ֤לֶג ׀ בַּקַּ֗יִץ וְכַמָּטָ֥ר בַּקָּצִ֑יר כֵּ֤ן לֹא־נָאוֶ֖ה לִכְסִ֣יל כָּבֽוֹד׃
26:2As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall come to him.
בכַּצִּפּ֣וֹר לָ֭נוּד כַּדְּר֣וֹר לָע֑וּף כֵּ֥ן קִֽלְלַ֥ת חִ֝נָּ֗ם ל֣וֹ (כתיב לא) תָבֹֽא׃
26:3A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the fool’s back.
גשׁ֣וֹט לַ֭סּוּס מֶ֣תֶג לַחֲמ֑וֹר וְ֝שֵׁ֗בֶט לְגֵ֣ו כְּסִילִֽים׃
26:4Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like unto him.
דאַל־תַּ֣עַן כְּ֭סִיל כְּאִוַּלְתּ֑וֹ פֶּֽן־תִּשְׁוֶה־לּ֥וֹ גַם־אָֽתָּה׃
26:5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
העֲנֵ֣ה כְ֭סִיל כְּאִוַּלְתּ֑וֹ פֶּן־יִהְיֶ֖ה חָכָ֣ם בְּעֵינָֽיו׃
26:6He that sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off the feet, and drinks damage.
ומְקַצֶּ֣ה רַ֭גְלַיִם חָמָ֣ס שֹׁתֶ֑ה שֹׁלֵ֖חַ דְּבָרִ֣ים בְּיַד־כְּסִֽיל׃
26:7The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
זדַּלְי֣וּ שֹׁ֭קַיִם מִפִּסֵּ֑חַ וּ֝מָשָׁ֗ל בְּפִ֣י כְסִילִֽים׃
26:8As he that binds a stone in a sling, so is he that gives honour to a fool.
חכִּצְר֣וֹר אֶ֭בֶן בְּמַרְגֵּמָ֑ה כֵּן־נוֹתֵ֖ן לִכְסִ֣יל כָּבֽוֹד׃
26:9As a thorn goes up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
טח֭וֹחַ עָלָ֣ה בְיַד־שִׁכּ֑וֹר וּ֝מָשָׁ֗ל בְּפִ֣י כְסִילִֽים׃
26:10The great God that formed all things both rewards the fool, and rewards transgressors.
ירַ֥ב מְחֽוֹלֵֽל־כֹּ֑ל וְשֹׂכֵ֥ר כְּ֝סִ֗יל וְשֹׂכֵ֥ר עֹבְרִֽים׃
26:11As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly.
יאכְּ֭כֶלֶב שָׁ֣ב עַל־קֵא֑וֹ כְּ֝סִ֗יל שׁוֹנֶ֥ה בְאִוַּלְתּֽוֹ׃
26:12See you a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
יברָאִ֗יתָ אִ֭ישׁ חָכָ֣ם בְּעֵינָ֑יו תִּקְוָ֖ה לִכְסִ֣יל מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
26:13The slothful man says, “There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.”
יגאָמַ֣ר עָ֭צֵל שַׁ֣חַל בַּדָּ֑רֶךְ אֲ֝רִ֗י בֵּ֣ין הָרְחֹבֽוֹת׃
26:14As the door turns upon his hinges, so does the slothful upon his bed.
ידהַ֭דֶּלֶת תִּסּ֣וֹב עַל־צִירָ֑הּ וְ֝עָצֵ֗ל עַל־מִטָּתֽוֹ׃
26:15The slothful hides his hand in his bosom; it grieves him to bring it again to his mouth.
טוטָ֘מַ֤ן עָצֵ֣ל יָ֭דוֹ בַּצַּלָּ֑חַת נִ֝לְאָ֗ה לַֽהֲשִׁיבָ֥הּ אֶל־פִּֽיו׃
26:16The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.
טזחָכָ֣ם עָצֵ֣ל בְּעֵינָ֑יו מִ֝שִּׁבְעָ֗ה מְשִׁ֣יבֵי טָֽעַם׃
26:17He that passes by, and meddles with strife belonging not to him, is like one that takes a dog by the ears.
יזמַחֲזִ֥יק בְּאָזְנֵי־כָ֑לֶב עֹבֵ֥ר מִ֝תְעַבֵּ֗ר עַל־רִ֥יב לֹּֽא־לֽוֹ׃
26:18As a mad man who casts firebrands, arrows, and death,
יחכְּֽ֭מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיֹּרֶ֥ה זִקִּ֗ים חִצִּ֥ים וָמָֽוֶת׃
26:19So is the man that deceives his neighbour, and says, “Am not I in sport?”
יטכֵּֽן־אִ֭ישׁ רִמָּ֣ה אֶת־רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְ֝אָמַ֗ר הֲֽלֹא־מְשַׂחֵ֥ק אָֽנִי׃
26:20Where no wood is, there the fire goes out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceases.
כבְּאֶ֣פֶס עֵ֭צִים תִּכְבֶּה־אֵ֑שׁ וּבְאֵ֥ין נִ֝רְגָּ֗ן יִשְׁתֹּ֥ק מָדֽוֹן׃
26:21As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
כאפֶּחָ֣ם לְ֭גֶחָלִים וְעֵצִ֣ים לְאֵ֑שׁ וְאִ֥ישׁ מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים (כתיב מדונים) לְחַרְחַר־רִֽיב׃
26:22The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
כבדִּבְרֵ֣י נִ֭רְגָּן כְּמִֽתְלַהֲמִ֑ים וְ֝הֵ֗ם יָרְד֥וּ חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃
26:23Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.
כגכֶּ֣סֶף סִ֭יגִים מְצֻפֶּ֣ה עַל־חָ֑רֶשׂ שְׂפָתַ֖יִם דֹּלְקִ֣ים וְלֶב־רָֽע׃
26:24He that hates dissembles with his lips, and lays up deceit within him;
כדבִּ֭שְׂפָתָיו (כתיב בשפתו) יִנָּכֵ֣ר שׂוֹנֵ֑א וּ֝בְקִרְבּ֗וֹ יָשִׁ֥ית מִרְמָֽה׃
26:25When he speaks fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.
כהכִּֽי־יְחַנֵּ֣ן ק֭וֹלוֹ אַל־תַּֽאֲמֶן־בּ֑וֹ כִּ֤י שֶׁ֖בַע תּוֹעֵב֣וֹת בְּלִבּֽוֹ׃
26:26Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shown before the whole congregation.
כותִּכַּסֶּ֣ה שִׂ֭נְאָה בְּמַשָּׁא֑וֹן תִּגָּלֶ֖ה רָעָת֣וֹ בְקָהָֽל׃
26:27Whoso digs a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolls a stone, it will return upon him.
כזכֹּֽרֶה־שַּׁ֭חַת בָּ֣הּ יִפֹּ֑ל וְגֹ֥לֵ֥ל אֶ֝בֶן אֵלָ֥יו תָּשֽׁוּב׃
26:28A lying tongue hates those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth works ruin.
כחלְֽשׁוֹן־שֶׁ֭קֶר יִשְׂנָ֣א דַכָּ֑יו וּפֶ֥ה חָ֝לָ֗ק יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה מִדְחֶֽה׃
Sources & method
- Hebrew text
- The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. A paragraph mark (ס or פ) inside a verse is shown in small type.
- English translation
- The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the King James spelling in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Yehudah (Judah)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem”; “God” (Elohim) is unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
- Verse numbers
- Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible; in Proverbs they are the same as in most English Bibles.
- Hebrew font
- SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.