UBF Daily Bread

OF FOOLS, SLUGGARDS AND MALICIOUS MEN

Passage: Proverbs 26:1~28

Key verse: 12

26 Like snow in summer or rain^(A) in harvest,
    honor is not fitting for a fool.^(B)
²Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
    an undeserved curse does not come to rest.^(C)
³A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,^(D)
    and a rod for the backs of fools!^(E)
⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
    or you yourself will be just like him.^(F)
⁵Answer a fool according to his folly,
    or he will be wise in his own eyes.^(G)
⁶Sending a message by the hands of a fool^(H)
    is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
⁷Like the useless legs of one who is lame
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.^(I)
⁸Like tying a stone in a sling
    is the giving of honor to a fool.^(J)
⁹Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.^(K)
¹⁰Like an archer who wounds at random
    is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
¹¹As a dog returns to its vomit,^(L)
    so fools repeat their folly.^(M)
¹²Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?^(N)
    There is more hope for a fool than for them.^(O)

¹³A sluggard says,^(P) “There’s a lion in the road,
    a fierce lion roaming the streets!”^(Q)
¹⁴As a door turns on its hinges,
    so a sluggard turns on his bed.^(R)
¹⁵A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.^(S)
¹⁶A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
    than seven people who answer discreetly.

¹⁷Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.

¹⁸Like a maniac shooting
flaming arrows of death
¹⁹is one who deceives their neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”

²⁰Without wood a fire goes out;
    without a gossip a quarrel dies down.^(T)
²¹As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
    so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.^(U)
²²The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
    they go down to the inmost parts.^(V)

²³Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
    are fervent^[a] lips with an evil heart.
²⁴Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,^(W)
    but in their hearts they harbor deceit.^(X)
²⁵Though their speech is charming,^(Y) do not believe them,
    for seven abominations fill their hearts.^(Z)
²⁶Their malice may be concealed by deception,
    but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
²⁷Whoever digs a pit^(AA) will fall into it;^(AB)
    if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.^(AC)
²⁸A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
    and a flattering mouth^(AD) works ruin.

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Footnotes

Proverbs 26:23 Hebrew; Septuagint smooth

1. Fools (1-12)

There are many proverbs which describe the folly of a fool. A man who is wise in his own eyes is a fool. A fool curses good men, but his curse is ineffective (2). We must deal wisely with proud fools, or our efforts to help them become worse than useless (1,3-12). A fool never humbly receives discipline or instruction. He is a fool because he doesn't learn. Because he is a fool, he repeats his folly.

2. Sluggards (13-16)

There's a lion in the road! Sluggards find the strangest excuses for doing nothing! (13)

3. Malicious men (17-28)

A malicious man has fervent lips and an evil heart. He is deceptive. Jealousy, bitterness, a crooked sense of humor, and hidden sins make a person malicious. His malice may be concealed by deception, but he will finally be exposed.

Prayer: Lord, cleanse me by Jesus' blood from foolish pride, laziness and an impure heart; give me a humble and diligent heart.

One Word: Don't be a fool!