Proverbs 26

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

Proverbs 26

1As dew in harvest, and as rain in summer, so honor is not seemly for a fool.Ὥσπερ δρόσος ἐν ἀμητῷ, καὶ ὥσπερ ὑετὸς ἐν θέρει, οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν ἄφρουι τιμή.

2As birds and sparrows fly, so a curse shall not come upon any one without a cause.Ὥσπερ ὄρνεα πέταται καὶ στρουθοί, οὕτως ἀρὰ ματαία οὐκ ἐπελεύσεται οὐδενί.

3As a whip for a horse, and a goad for an ass, so is a rod for a simple nation.Ὥσπερ μάστιξ ἵππῳ καὶ κέντρον ὄνῳ, οὕτως ῥάβδος ἔθνει παρανόμῳ.

4Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you become like him.Μὴ ἀποκρίνου ἄφρονι πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου ἀφροσύνην, ἵνα μὴ ὅμοιος γένῃ αὐτῷ.

5Yet answer a fool according to his folly, lest he seem wise in his own conceit.Ἀλλὰ ἀποκρίνου ἄφρονι κατὰ τὴν ἀφροσύνην αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μὴ φαίνηται σοφὸς παρʼ ἑαυτῷ.

6He that sends a message by a foolish messenger procures for himself a reproach from his own ways.Ἐκ τῶν ὁδῶν ἑαυτοῦ ὄνειδος ποιεῖται ὁ ἀποστείλας διʼ ἀγγέλου ἄφρονος λόγον.

7As well take away the motion of the legs, as transgression from the mouth of fools.Ἄφελοῦ πορείαν σκελῶν, καὶ παρανομίαν ἐκ στόματος ἀφρόνων.

8He that binds up a stone in a sling, is like one that gives glory to a fool.Ὃς ἀποδεσμεύει λίθον ἐν σφενδόνῃ, ὅμοιός ἐστι τῷ διδόντι ἄφρονι δόξαν.

9Thorns * grow in the hand of a drunkard, and servitude in the hand of fools.Ἄκανθαι φύονται ἐν χειρὶ μεθύσου, δουλεία δὲ ἐν χειρὶ τῶν ἀφρόνων.

10† All the flesh of fools endures much hardship; for their fury is brought to nothing.Πολλὰ χειμάζεται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἀφρόνων, συντρίβεται γὰρ ἡ ἔκστασις αὐτῶν.

11As when a dog goes to his own vomit, and becomes abominable, so is fool who returns in his wickedness to his own sin. [There is a shame that brings sin: and there is a shame that is glory and grace.]Ὥσπερ κύων ὅταν ἐπέλθῃ ἐπὶ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἔμετον καὶ μισητὸς γένηται, οὕτως ἄφρων τῇ ἑαυτοῦ κακίᾳ ἀναστρέψας ἐπὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίαν·

11aἔστιν αἰσχύνη ἐπάγουσα ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ ἐστιν αἰσχύνη δόξα καὶ χάρις.

12I have seen a man who seemed ‡ to himself to be wise; but a fool had more hope than he.Εἶδον ἄνδρα δόξαντα παρʼ αὐτῷ σοφὸν εἶναι, ἐλπίδα μέντοι ἔσχε μᾶλλον ἄφρων αὐτοῦ.

13A sluggard when sent on a journey says, There is a lion in the ways, and there are murderers in the streets.Λέγει ὀκνηρὸς ἀποστελλόμενος εἰς ὁδὸν, λέων ἐν ταῖς ἐν δὲ ταῖς πλατείαις φονευταί.

14As a door turns on the hinge, so does a sluggard on his bed.Ὥσπερ θύρα στρέφεται ἐπὶ τοῦ στρόφιγγος, οὕτως ὀκνηρὸς ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης αὐτοῦ.

15A sluggard having hid his hand in his bosom, will not be able to bring it up to his mouth.Κρύψας ὀκνηρὸς τὴν χεῖρα ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ αὐτοῦ, οὐ δυνήσεται ἐπενεγκεῖν ἐπὶ στόμα.

16A sluggard seems to himself wiser than one who § most satisfactorily brings back a message.Σοφώτερος ἑαυτῷ ὀκνηρὸς φαίνεται, τοῦ ἐν πλησμονῇ ἀποκομίζοντος ἀγγελίαν.

17As he that lays hold of a dog's tail, so is he that makes himself the champion of another's cause.Ὥσπερ ὁ κρατῶν κέρκου κυνὸς, οὕτως ὁ προεστὼς ἀλλοτρίας κρίσεως.

18As those who need correction put forth fair words to men, and he that first falls in with the proposal will be overthrown;Ὥσπερ οἱ ἰώμενοι προβάλλουσι λόγους εἰς ἀνθρώπους, ὁ δὲ ἀπαντήσας τῷ λόγῳ πρῶτος ὑποσκελισθήσεται·

19so are all that lay wait for their own friends, and when they are revealed, say, I did it in jest.Οὕτως πάντες οἱ ἐνεδρεύοντες τοὺς ἑαυτῶν φίλους, ὅταν δὲ ὁραθῶσι, λέγουσιν, ὅτι παίζων ἔπραξα.

20With much wood fire increases; but where there is not a double-minded man, strife ceases.Ἐν πολλοῖς ξύλοις θάλλει πῦρ, ὅπου δὲ οὐκ ἔστι δίθυμος, ἡσυχάζει μάχη.

21A hearth for coals, and wood for fire; and railing man for the tumult of strife.Ἐσχάρα ἄνθραξι καὶ ξύλα πυρὶ, ἀνὴρ δὲ λοίδορος εἰς ταραχὴν μάχης.

22The words of cunning knaves are soft; but they strike even to the inmost parts of the bowels.Λόγοι κερκώπων μαλακοὶ, οὗτοι δὲ τύπτουσιν εἰς ταμιεῖα σπλάγχνων.

23Silver dishonestly given is to be considered as a potsherd: smooth lips cover a grievous heart.Ἀργύριον διδόμενον μετὰ δόλου, ὥσπερ ὄστρακον ἡγητέον· χείλη λεῖα καρδίαν καλύπτει λυπηράν.

24A weeping enemy promises all things with his lips, but in his heart he contrives deceit.Χείλεσι πάντα ἐπινεύει ἀποκλαιόμενος ἐχθρὸς, ἐν δὲ τῇ καρδίᾳ τεκταίνεται δόλους.

25Though your enemy entreat you with a loud voice, consent not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.Ἐάν σου δέηται ὁ ἐχθρὸς μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ, μὴ πεισθῇς, ἑπτὰ γάρ πονηρίαι ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ.

26He that hides enmity frames deceit: but being easily discerned, exposes his own sins in the public assemblies.Ὁ κρύπτων ἔχθραν συνίστησι δόλον, ἐκκαλύπτει δὲ τὰς ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίας εὔγνωστος ἐν συνεδρίοις.

27He that digs a pit for his neighbor shall fall into it: and he that rolls a stone, rolls it upon himself.Ὁ ὀρύσσων βόθρον τῷ πλησίον, ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς αὐτόν· ὁ δὲ κυλίων λίθον, ἐφʼ ἑαυτὸν κυλίει.

28A lying tongue hates the truth; and an unguarded mouth causes tumults.Γλῶσσα ψευδὴς μισεῖ ἀλήθειαν, στόμα δὲ ἄστεγον ποιεῖ ἀκαταστασίας.

Translator's Notes

These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.

• v. 9*Compare Heb.
• v. 10†Great variation from Hebrew here.
• v. 12‡Gr. by.
• v. 16§Compare Heb.