“Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.” (26:20 NIV ’84) If no wood is put on the fire, it dies out. If one refrains from gossip, it’s hard to keep a quarrel burning hot. The Spirit and Word will help us speak words of kindness and love.

BibleGateway: Proverbs 26:1-28

ESV Text: Proverbs 26:1-28

Proverbs 26 (Listen)

26:1   Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
    so honor is not fitting for a fool.
2   Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
    a curse that is causeless does not alight.
3   A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
    and a rod for the back of fools.
4   Answer not a fool according to his folly,
    lest you be like him yourself.
5   Answer a fool according to his folly,
    lest he be wise in his own eyes.
6   Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
    cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
7   Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless,
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8   Like one who binds the stone in the sling
    is one who gives honor to a fool.
9   Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10   Like an archer who wounds everyone
    is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.¹
11   Like a dog that returns to his vomit
    is a fool who repeats his folly.
12   Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
    There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13   The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!
    There is a lion in the streets!”
14   As a door turns on its hinges,
    so does a sluggard on his bed.
15   The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
16   The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
    than seven men who can answer sensibly.
17   Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own
    is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
18   Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death
19   is the man who deceives his neighbor
    and says, “I am only joking!”
20   For lack of wood the fire goes out,
    and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.
21   As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
    so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
22   The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
    they go down into the inner parts of the body.
23   Like the glaze² covering an earthen vessel
    are fervent lips with an evil heart.
24   Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips
    and harbors deceit in his heart;
25   when he speaks graciously, believe him not,
    for there are seven abominations in his heart;
26   though his hatred be covered with deception,
    his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27   Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
    and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.
28   A lying tongue hates its victims,
    and a flattering mouth works ruin.

(ESV)

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KJV Text: Proverbs 26:1-28

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     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.(KJV)

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Hymn: TLH 226 : Come, Oh Come, Thou Quickening Spirit

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