King James Version

Proverbs 26:20

Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

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Hebrew

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בְּאֶ֣פֶסbeefesin ankleאֶפֶסpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in ankle”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH657cessation, i.e. an end (especially of the earth); often used adverb, no further; also the ankle (in the dual), as being the extremity of the leg or footankle, but (only), end, howbeit, less than nothing, nevertheless (where), no, none (beside), not (any, -withstanding), thing of nought, save(-ing), there, uttermost part, want, without (cause).עֵ֭צִיםetsimtreeעֵץnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “tree”, the ordinary formH6086a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)[phrase] carpenter, gallows, helve, [phrase] pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.תִּכְבֶּהtikhbehquenchכָּבָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “quench”, an unfinished actionH3518to expire or (causatively) to extinguish (fire, light, anger)go (put) out, quench.אֵ֑שׁeshfireאֵשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “fire”, the ordinary formH784fire (literally or figuratively)burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.וּבְאֵ֥יןuveeynand in elseאַיִןconjunction, preposition, particle, negative — “and in else”H369a non-entity; generally used as a negative particleelse, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן).נִ֝רְגָּ֗ןnirgantalebearerנִרְגָּןverb, niphal, participle, absolute — “talebearer”, a verb used as a describing wordH5372a slanderertalebearer, whisperer.יִשְׁתֹּ֥קyishtoqceaseשָׁתַקverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “cease”, an unfinished actionH8367to subsidebe calm, cease, be quiet.מָדֽוֹןmadonbrawlingמָדוֹןnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “brawling”, the ordinary formH4066a contest or quarrelbrawling, contention(-ous), discord, strife. Compare H4079 (מִדְיָן), H4090 (מְדָן).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Where no wood is, the fire goeth out; and where there is no whisperer, contention ceaseth.

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The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

For lack of wood the fire goeth out; And where there is no whisperer, contention ceaseth.

Young’s Literal Translation

Without wood is fire going out, And without a tale-bearer, contention ceaseth,

World English Bible

For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.

Darby Translation

Where no wood is, the fire goeth out; and where there is no talebearer, the contention ceaseth.

Douay-Rheims

When the wood faileth, the fire shall go out: and when the talebearer is taken away, contentions shall cease.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Where no wood is, the fire goeth out; and where there is no whisperer, contention ceaseth.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

With much wood fire increases; but where there is not a double-minded man, strife ceases.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐν πολλοῖς ξύλοις θάλλει πῦρ, ὅπου δὲ οὐκ ἔστι δίθυμος, ἡσυχάζει μάχη.