Proverbs 26:17-21
Proverbs 26:17-21 American Standard Version (ASV)
He that passeth by, and vexeth himself with strife belonging not to him, Is like one that taketh a dog by the ears. As a madman who casteth firebrands, Arrows, and death, So is the man that deceiveth his neighbor, And saith, Am not I in sport? For lack of wood the fire goeth out; And where there is no whisperer, contention ceaseth. As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to inflame strife.
Proverbs 26:17-21 The Message (MSG)
You grab a mad dog by the ears when you butt into a quarrel that’s none of your business. People who shrug off deliberate deceptions, saying, “I didn’t mean it, I was only joking,” Are worse than careless campers who walk away from smoldering campfires. When you run out of wood, the fire goes out; when the gossip ends, the quarrel dies down. A quarrelsome person in a dispute is like kerosene thrown on a fire.
Proverbs 26:17-21 King James Version (KJV)
He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, Is like one that taketh a dog by the ears. As a mad man who casteth firebrands, Arrows, and death, So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, And saith, Am not I in sport? Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: So where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; So is a contentious man to kindle strife.
Proverbs 26:17-21 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
Like one who takes a dog by the ears Is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him. Like a madman who throws Firebrands, arrows and death, So is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, “Was I not joking?” For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down. Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife.
Proverbs 26:17-21 New Century Version (NCV)
Interfering in someone else’s quarrel as you pass by is like grabbing a dog by the ears. Like a madman shooting deadly, burning arrows is the one who tricks a neighbor and then says, “I was just joking.” Without wood, a fire will go out, and without gossip, quarreling will stop. Just as charcoal and wood keep a fire going, a quarrelsome person keeps an argument going.
Proverbs 26:17-21 New International Version (NIV)
Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own. Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death is one who deceives their neighbor and says, “I was only joking!” Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down. As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
Proverbs 26:17-21 New King James Version (NKJV)
He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own Is like one who takes a dog by the ears. Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, Is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, “I was only joking!” Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife.
Proverbs 26:17-21 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Like one who grabs a dog by the ears [and is likely to be bitten] Is he who, passing by, stops to meddle with a dispute that is none of his business. Like a madman who throws Firebrands, arrows, and death, So is the man who deceives his neighbor (acquaintance, friend) And then says, “Was I not joking?” [Eph 5:4] For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer [who gossips], contention quiets down. Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife. [Prov 15:18; 29:22]
Proverbs 26:17-21 New Living Translation (NLT)
Interfering in someone else’s argument is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears. Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon is someone who lies to a friend and then says, “I was only joking.” Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops. A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood.
Proverbs 26:17-21 The Passion Translation (TPT)
It’s better to grab a stray dog by its ears than to meddle in a quarrel that’s none of your business. The one who is caught lying to his friend, who says, “I didn’t mean it, I was only joking,” can be compared to a madman randomly shooting off deadly weapons. It takes fuel to have a fire— a fire dies down when you run out of fuel. So quarrels disappear when the gossip ends. Add fuel to the fire and the blaze goes on. So add an argumentative man to the mix, and you’ll keep strife alive.
Proverbs 26:17-21 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears. Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I am only joking!” For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.