| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool. | 1Honor is no more associated with fools than snow with summer or rain with harvest. |
| 2Like a fluttering bird or like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause does not come to rest. | 2Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim. |
| 3A whip for the horse and a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools! | 3Guide a horse with a whip, a donkey with a bridle, and a fool with a rod to his back! |
| 4Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you yourself also be like him. | 4Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are. |
| 5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own estimation. | 5Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools, or they will become wise in their own estimation. |
| 6Like cutting off the feet or drinking violence, so is sending a message by the hand of a fool. | 6Trusting a fool to convey a message is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison! |
| 7Like legs that hang limp from the lame, so is a proverb in the mouth of fools. | 7A proverb in the mouth of a fool is as useless as a paralyzed leg. |
| 8Like tying a stone in a sling, so is giving honor to a fool. | 8Honoring a fool is as foolish as tying a stone to a slingshot. |
| 9Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. | 9A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like a thorny branch brandished by a drunk. |
| 10Like an archer who wounds at random, so is the one who hires a fool or hires any passer-by. | 10An employer who hires a fool or a bystander is like an archer who shoots at random. |
| 11Like a dog that returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. | 11As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness. |
| 12Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. | 12There is more hope for fools than for people who think they are wise. |
| 13The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! A lion in the streets!" | 13The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!” |
| 14Like a door that turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed. | 14As a door swings back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed. |
| 15The sluggard plunges his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. | 15Lazy people take food in their hand but don’t even lift it to their mouth. |
| 16The sluggard is wiser in his own estimation than seven people who respond with good sense. | 16Lazy people consider themselves smarter than seven wise counselors. |
| 17Like one who grabs a wild dog by the ears, so is the person passing by who becomes furious over a quarrel not his own. | 17Interfering in someone else’s argument is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears. |
| 18Like a madman who shoots firebrands and deadly arrows, | 18Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon |
| 19so is a person who deceives his neighbor, and says, "Was I not only joking?" | 19is someone who lies to a friend and then says, “I was only joking.” |
| 20Where there is no wood, a fire goes out, and where there is no gossip, contention ceases. | 20Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops. |
| 21Like charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious person to kindle strife. | 21A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood. |
| 22The words of a gossip are like delicious morsels; they go down into a person's innermost being. | 22Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart. |
| 23Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart. | 23Smooth words may hide a wicked heart, just as a pretty glaze covers a clay pot. |
| 24The one who hates others disguises it with his lips, but he stores up deceit within him. | 24People may cover their hatred with pleasant words, but they’re deceiving you. |
| 25When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for there are seven abominations within him. | 25They pretend to be kind, but don’t believe them. Their hearts are full of many evils. |
| 26Though his hatred may be concealed by deceit, his evil will be uncovered in the assembly. | 26While their hatred may be concealed by trickery, their wrongdoing will be exposed in public. |
| 27The one who digs a pit will fall into it; the one who rolls a stone--it will come back on him. | 27If you set a trap for others, you will get caught in it yourself. If you roll a boulder down on others, it will crush you instead. |
| 28A lying tongue hates those crushed by it, and a flattering mouth works ruin. | 28A lying tongue hates its victims, and flattering words cause ruin. |
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