Proverbs 26

¹⁰Luxury is unseemly for a fool—how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!

¹⁶A leader who lacks judgment is also a great oppressor, but he who hates dishonest profit will prolong his days.

¹After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him.

²All the royal servants at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded that this be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage.

¹⁷Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on the Lord to send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you have committed in the sight of the Lord by asking for a king.”

¹⁸So Samuel called to the Lord, and on that day the Lord sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

⁸The wicked wander freely, and vileness is exalted among men.

⁸Like binding a stone into a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.

⁸How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?

²because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).

²⁸Though they curse, You will bless. When they rise up, they will be put to shame, but Your servant will rejoice.

⁴For they did not meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to curse you.

⁵Yet the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam, and the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you.

¹²Perhaps the Lord will see my affliction and repay me with good for the cursing I receive today.”

⁴³“Am I a dog,” he said to David, “that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

¹³Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.

²¹Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and with a gentle spirit?

⁹Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding; they must be controlled with bit and bridle to make them come to you.

⁵So Gideon said to the men of Succoth, “Please give my troops some bread, for they are exhausted, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”

⁶But the leaders of Succoth asked, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your possession, that we should give bread to your army?”

²I already warned you the second time I was with you. So now in my absence I warn those who sinned earlier and everyone else: If I return, I will not spare anyone,

²²Though you grind a fool like grain with mortar and a pestle, yet his folly will not depart from him.

⁹Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.

⁹But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, did not presume to bring a slanderous charge against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

¹⁴To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.

¹⁴and spoke to them as the young men had advised, saying, “Whereas my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.”

¹⁶When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So the Israelites went home,

¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.

¹Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came and tested Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven.

²But He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘The weather will be fair, for the sky is red,’

⁷Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

²³When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You this authority?”

²⁴“I will also ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

²⁶“What did He do to you?” they asked. “How did He open your eyes?”

²⁷He replied, “I already told you, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”

¹³This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sternly, so that they will be sound in the faith

¹⁷A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing.

²⁶Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the slacker to those who send him.

¹³Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.

³¹But the men who had gone up with him replied, “We cannot go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are!”

⁹Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

⁷Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!

⁸They will be made to stumble, their own tongues turned against them. All who see will shake their heads.

¹⁶To the wicked, however, God says, “What right have you to recite My statutes and to bear My covenant on your lips?

¹⁷For you hate My instruction and cast My words behind you.

⁴How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while there is still a beam in your own eye?

⁵You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

²³Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to Me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in Your hometown what we have heard that You did in Capernaum.’”

²²a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food,

¹Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, honor does not befit a fool.

¹⁰Luxury is unseemly for a fool—how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!

³⁵“They struck me, but I feel no pain! They beat me, but I did not know it! When can I wake up to search for another drink?”

⁶God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”

³¹If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

²²Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”

⁴⁵Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there. And the final plight of that man is worse than the first. So will it be with this wicked generation.”

¹⁵When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, however, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

²⁰Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹⁸Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.

¹⁹For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.

¹¹A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man with discernment sees through him.

¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.

¹⁷You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

¹³The slacker says, “There is a lion outside! I will be slain in the streets!”

¹⁵Laziness brings on deep sleep, and an idle soul will suffer hunger.

¹⁹The way of the slacker is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.

¹²Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

⁹How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?

¹⁰A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,

²⁴The hand of the diligent will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.

²⁷A lazy man does not roast his game, but a diligent man prizes his possession.

³³A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,

²⁴The slacker buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth.

¹²Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹⁵But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect,

¹⁵The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.

³It is honorable for a man to resolve a dispute, but any fool will quarrel.

²³But reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling.

²⁴And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing.

⁶A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.

¹⁴But Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed Me judge or executor between you?”

¹¹An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

¹⁸Like a club or sword or sharp arrow is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.

¹¹Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who array yourselves with firebrands, walk in the light of your fire and of the firebrands you have lit! This is what you will receive from My hand: You will lie down in a place of torment.

²³until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare—not knowing it will cost him his life.

²³The archers attacked him with bitterness; they aimed at him in hostility.

⁴Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving.

²³The fool delights in shameful conduct, but a man of understanding has wisdom.

⁹Fools mock the making of amends, but goodwill is found among the upright.

²¹Folly is joy to one who lacks judgment, but a man of understanding walks a straight path.

¹³The harm they will suffer is the wages of their wickedness. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deception as they feast with you.

²⁸A perverse man spreads dissension, and a gossip divides close friends.

¹⁰Drive out the mocker, and conflict will depart; even quarreling and insults will cease.

⁶The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

²²The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being.

¹⁸A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger calms dispute.

²²An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.

¹Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram’s horn and shouted: “We have no share in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Every man to his tent, O Israel!”

⁴Sharp arrows will come from the warrior, with burning coals of the broom tree!

¹²Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.

²When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.

³So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel came to Rehoboam and said,

⁸The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being.

¹⁹He who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid the one who babbles with his lips.

⁹Among you are slanderous men bent on bloodshed; within you are those who eat on the mountain shrines and commit acts of indecency.

⁴⁷While He was still speaking, a crowd arrived, led by the man called Judas, one of the Twelve. He approached Jesus to kiss Him.

⁴⁸But Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

³⁹Then the Lord said, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.

¹⁸The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

²⁷Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity.

³¹So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest gain.

⁴Remove the dross from the silver, and a vessel for a silversmith will come forth.

²⁰Deceit is in the hearts of those who devise evil, but the counselors of peace have joy.

⁶My visitor speaks falsehood; he gathers slander in his heart; he goes out and spreads it abroad.

¹⁸The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

¹⁷He who speaks the truth declares what is right, but a false witness speaks deceit.

⁵The plans of the righteous are just, but the counsel of the wicked leads to deceit.

⁸The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them.

¹⁶There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him:

¹⁷haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

³Do not drag me away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors while malice is in their hearts.

⁶Even your brothers—your own father’s household—even they have betrayed you; even they have cried aloud against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.

²If only I had a traveler’s lodge in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a crowd of faithless people.

³“They bend their tongues like bows; lies prevail over truth in the land. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not take Me into account,” declares the Lord.

²They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.

²³At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it.

²¹His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.

²²Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.

¹⁷Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

²⁷When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside into the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died on account of the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel.

²⁸Afterward, David heard about this and said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.

²¹“I will give her to David,” Saul thought, “so that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “For a second time now you can be my son-in-law.”

⁸Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

²²And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon for violating his sister Tamar.

²³Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, he invited all the sons of the king.

¹⁰He who leads the upright along the path of evil will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will inherit what is good.

¹⁵The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.

¹⁵He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making.

¹⁶His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.

²In pride the wicked pursue the needy; let them be caught in the schemes they devise.

⁸He who digs a pit may fall into it, and he who breaches a wall may be bitten by a snake.

⁶They spread a net for my feet; my soul was despondent. They dug a pit before me, but they themselves have fallen into it! Selah

⁴⁴You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

⁴⁵But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!

²⁰So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They were hoping to catch Him in His words in order to hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor.

²¹“Teacher,” they inquired, “we know that You speak and teach correctly. You show no partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.

⁵A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.

²⁴to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

³²But Jesus responded, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?”

³³“We are not stoning You for any good work,” said the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because You, who are a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

²¹With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him.

²²He follows her on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap,