1 Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.

1 כַּשֶּׁ֤לֶג׀ בַּקַּ֗יִץ וְכַמָּטָ֥ר בַּקָּצִ֑יר כֵּ֤ן לֹא־נָאוֶ֖ה לִכְסִ֣יל כָּבֹֽוד׃

2 As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.

2 כַּצִּפֹּ֣ור לָ֭נוּד כַּדְּרֹ֣ור לָע֑וּף כֵּ֥ן קִֽלְלַ֥ת חִ֝נָּ֗ם לֹא לֹ֣ו תָבֹֽא׃

3 A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.

3 שֹׁ֣וט לַ֭סּוּס מֶ֣תֶג לַחֲמֹ֑ור וְ֝שֵׁ֗בֶט לְגֵ֣ו כְּסִילִֽים׃

4 Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.

4 אַל־תַּ֣עַן כְּ֭סִיל כְּאִוַּלְתֹּ֑ו פֶּֽן־תִּשְׁוֶה־לֹּ֥ו גַם־אָֽתָּה׃

5 Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.

5 עֲנֵ֣ה כְ֭סִיל כְּאִוַּלְתֹּ֑ו פֶּן־יִהְיֶ֖ה חָכָ֣ם בְּעֵינָֽיו׃

6 He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.

6 מְקַצֶּ֣ה רַ֭גְלַיִם חָמָ֣ס שֹׁתֶ֑ה שֹׁלֵ֖חַ דְּבָרִ֣ים בְּיַד־כְּסִֽיל׃

7 The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.

7 דַּלְי֣וּ קַיִם³ מִפִּסֵּ֑חַ וּ֝מָשָׁ֗ל בְּפִ֣י כְסִילִֽים׃

8 Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.

8 כִּצְרֹ֣ור אֶ֭בֶן בְּמַרְגֵּמָ֑ה כֵּן־נֹותֵ֖ן לִכְסִ֣יל כָּבֹֽוד׃

9 Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.

9 חֹ֭וחַ עָלָ֣ה בְיַד־שִׁכֹּ֑ור וּ֝מָשָׁ֗ל בְּפִ֣י כְסִילִֽים׃

10 Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.

10 רַ֥ב מְחֹֽולֵֽל־כֹּ֑ל וְשֹׂכֵ֥ר כְּ֝סִ֗יל וְשֹׂכֵ֥ר עֹבְרִֽים׃

11 Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.

11 כְּ֭כֶלֶב שָׁ֣ב עַל־קֵאֹ֑ו כְּ֝סִ֗יל שֹׁונֶ֥ה בְאִוַּלְתֹּֽו׃

12 Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.

12 רָאִ֗יתָ אִ֭ישׁ חָכָ֣ם בְּעֵינָ֑יו תִּקְוָ֖ה לִכְסִ֣יל מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

13 The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

13 אָמַ֣ר עָ֭צֵל שַׁ֣חַל בַּדָּ֑רֶךְ אֲ֝רִ֗י בֵּ֣ין הָרְחֹבֹֽות׃

14 A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.

14 הַ֭דֶּלֶת תִּסֹּ֣וב עַל־צִירָ֑הּ וְ֝עָצֵ֗ל עַל־מִטָּתֹֽו׃

15 The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.

15 טָ֘מַ֤ן עָצֵ֣ל יָ֭דֹו בַּצַּלָּ֑חַת נִ֝לְאָ֗ה לַֽהֲשִׁיבָ֥הּ אֶל־פִּֽיו׃

16 The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.

16 חָכָ֣ם עָצֵ֣ל בְּעֵינָ֑יו מִ֝שִּׁבְעָ֗ה מְשִׁ֣יבֵי טָֽעַם׃

17 He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.

17 מַחֲזִ֥יק בְּאָזְנֵי־כָ֑לֶב עֹבֵ֥ר מִ֝תְעַבֵּ֗ר עַל־רִ֥יב לֹּֽא־לֹֽו׃

18 As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,

18 כְּֽ֭מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיֹּרֶ֥ה זִקִּ֗ים חִצִּ֥ים וָמָֽוֶת׃

19 So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?

19 כֵּֽן־אִ֭ישׁ רִמָּ֣ה אֶת־רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְ֝אָמַ֗ר הֲ‍ֽלֹא־מְשַׂחֵ֥ק אָֽנִי׃

20 Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.

20 בְּאֶ֣פֶס עֵ֭צִים תִּכְבֶּה־אֵ֑שׁ וּבְאֵ֥ין נִ֝רְגָּ֗ן יִשְׁתֹּ֥ק מָדֹֽון׃

21 Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.

21 פֶּחָ֣ם לְ֭גֶחָלִים וְעֵצִ֣ים לְאֵ֑שׁ וְאִ֥ישׁ מִדֹונִים מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים לְחַרְחַר־רִֽיב׃

22 The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.

22 דִּבְרֵ֣י נִ֭רְגָּן כְּמִֽתְלַהֲמִ֑ים וְ֝הֵ֗ם יָרְד֥וּ חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃

23 Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.

23 כֶּ֣סֶף סִ֭יגִים מְצֻפֶּ֣ה עַל־חָ֑רֶשׂ שְׂפָתַ֖יִם דֹּלְקִ֣ים וְלֶב־רָֽע׃

24 With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;

24 בִּשְׂפָתֹו בִּ֭שְׂפָתָיו יִנָּכֵ֣ר שֹׂונֵ֑א וּ֝בְקִרְבֹּ֗ו יָשִׁ֥ית מִרְמָֽה׃

25 When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:

25 כִּֽי־יְחַנֵּ֣ן קֹ֭ולֹו³ אַל־תַּֽאֲמֶן־בֹּ֑ו כִּ֤י שֶׁ֖בַע תֹּועֵבֹ֣ות בְּלִבֹּֽו׃

26 Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.

26 תִּכַּסֶּ֣ה נְאָה בְּמַשָּׁאֹ֑ון תִּגָּלֶ֖ה רָעָתֹ֣ו בְקָהָֽל׃

27 He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.

27 כֹּֽרֶהשַּ֭־חַת בָּ֣הּ יִפֹּ֑ל וְגֹ֥לֵ֥ל אֶ֝בֶן אֵלָ֥יו תָּשֽׁוּב׃

28 A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.

28 לְֽשֹׁוןשֶ֭־קֶר יִשְׂנָ֣א דַכָּ֑יו וּפֶ֥ה חָ֝לָ֗ק יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה מִדְחֶֽה׃