1 ὥσπερ δρόσος ἐν ἀμήτῳ καὶ ὥσπερ ὑετὸς ἐν θέρει,
οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν ἄφρονι τιμή.
2 ὥσπερ ὄρνεα πέταται καὶ στρουθοί,
οὕτως ἀρὰ ματαία οὐκ ἐπελεύσεται οὐδενί.
3 ὥσπερ μάστιξ ἵππῳ καὶ κέντρον ὄνῳ,
οὕτως ῥάβδος ἔθνει παρανόμῳ.
4 μὴ ἀποκρίνου ἄφρονι πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου ἀφροσύνην,
ἵνα μὴ ὅμοιος γένῃ αὐτῷ·
5 ἀλλὰ ἀποκρίνου ἄφρονι κατὰ τὴν ἀφροσύνην αὐτοῦ,
ἵνα μὴ φαίνηται σοφὸς παρ᾽ ἑαυτῷ.
6 ἐκ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ποδῶν ὄνειδος πίεται
ὁ ἀποστείλας δι᾽ ἀγγέλου ἄφρονος λόγον.
7 ἀφελοῦ πορείαν σκελῶν
καὶ παροιμίαν ἐκ στόματος ἀφρόνων.
8 ὃς ἀποδεσμεύει λίθον ἐν σφενδόνῃ,
ὅμοιός ἐστιν τῷ διδόντι ἄφρονι δόξαν.
9 ἄκανθαι φύονται ἐν χειρὶ τοῦ μεθύσου,
δουλεία δὲ ἐν χειρὶ τῶν ἀφρόνων.
10 πολλὰ χειμάζεται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἀφρόνων·
συντρίβεται γὰρ ἡ ἔκστασις αὐτῶν.
11 ὥσπερ κύων ὅταν ἐπέλθῃ ἐπὶ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἔμετον καὶ μισητὸς γένηται,
οὕτως ἄφρων τῇ ἑαυτοῦ κακίᾳ ἀναστρέψας ἐπὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίαν.
11a ἔστιν αἰσχύνη ἐπάγουσα ἁμαρτίαν,
καὶ ἔστιν αἰσχύνη δόξα καὶ χάρις.
12 εἶδον ἄνδρα δόξαντα παρ᾽ ἑαυτῷ σοφὸν εἶναι,
ἐλπίδα μέντοι ἔσχεν μᾶλλον ἄφρων αὐτοῦ.
13 λέγει ὀκνηρὸς ἀποστελλόμενος εἰς ὁδόν
Λέων ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς.
14 ὥσπερ θύρα στρέφεται ἐπὶ τοῦ στρόφιγγος,
οὕτως ὀκνηρὸς ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης αὐτοῦ.
15 κρύψας ὀκνηρὸς τὴν χεῖρα ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ αὐτοῦ
οὐ δυνήσεται ἐπενεγκεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ στόμα.
16 σοφώτερος ἑαυτῷ ὀκνηρὸς φαίνεται
τοῦ ἐν πλησμονῇ ἀποκομίζοντος ἀγγελίαν.
17 ὥσπερ ὁ κρατῶν κέρκου κυνός,
οὕτως ὁ προεστὼς ἀλλοτρίας κρίσεως.
18 ὥσπερ οἱ ἰώμενοι προβάλλουσιν λόγους εἰς ἀνθρώπους,
ὁ δὲ ἀπαντήσας τῷ λόγῳ πρῶτος ὑποσκελισθήσεται,
19 οὕτως πάντες οἱ ἐνεδρεύοντες τοὺς ἑαυτῶν φίλους,
ὅταν δὲ φωραθῶσιν, λέγουσιν ὅτι Παίζων ἔπραξα.
20 ἐν πολλοῖς ξύλοις θάλλει πῦρ,
ὅπου δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν δίθυμος, ἡσυχάζει μάχη.
21 ἐσχάρα ἄνθραξιν καὶ ξύλα πυρί,
ἀνὴρ δὲ λοίδορος εἰς ταραχὴν μάχης.
22 λόγοι κερκώπων μαλακοί,
οὗτοι δὲ τύπτουσιν εἰς ταμιεῖα σπλάγχνων.
23 ἀργύριον διδόμενον μετὰ δόλου ὥσπερ ὄστρακον ἡγητέον.
χείλη λεῖα καρδίαν καλύπτει λυπηράν.
24 χείλεσιν πάντα ἐπινεύει ἀποκλαιόμενος ἐχθρός,
ἐν δὲ τῇ καρδίᾳ τεκταίνεται δόλους·
25 ἐάν σου δέηται ὁ ἐχθρὸς μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ, μὴ πεισθῇς·
ἑπτὰ γάρ εἰσιν πονηρίαι ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ.
26 ὁ κρύπτων ἔχθραν συνίστησιν δόλον,
ἐκκαλύπτει δὲ τὰς ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίας εὔγνωστος ἐν συνεδρίοις.
27 ὁ ὀρύσσων βόθρον τῷ πλησίον ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς αὐτόν,
ὁ δὲ κυλίων λίθον ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτὸν κυλίει.
28 γλῶσσα ψευδὴς μισεῖ ἀλήθειαν,
στόμα δὲ ἄστεγον ποιεῖ ἀκαταστασίας.
1 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool. 2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. 3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.
4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
6 He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage. 7 The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools. 8 As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool. 9 As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools. 10 The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors. 11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. 12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him. 13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets. 14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. 15 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth. 16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason. 17 He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.
18 As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, 19 So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?
20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. 21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. 22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. 23 Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.
24 He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; 25 When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. 26 Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation. 27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. 28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.