King James Version

Proverbs 26:7

The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

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Hebrew

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דַּלְי֣וּdalyvbe emptiedדָּלַלverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “be emptied”, a completed actionH1809to slacken or be feeble; figuratively, to be oppressedbring low, dry up, be emptied, be not equal, fail, be impoverished, be made thin.שֹׁ֭קַיִםshoqayimlegשׁוֹקnoun, common, feminine, dual, absolute — “leg”, the ordinary formH7785the (lower) leg (as a runner)hip, leg, shoulder, thigh.מִפִּסֵּ֑חַmipisechafrom lameפִּסֵּחַpreposition, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “from lame”, the ordinary formH6455lamelame.וּ֝מָשָׁ֗לumashaland bywordמָשָׁלconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and byword”, the ordinary formH4912properly, a pithy maxim, usually of metaphorical nature; hence, a simile (as an adage, poem, discourse)byword, like, parable, proverb.בְּפִ֣יbefiin edgeפֶּהpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in edge”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6310the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according toaccord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment, assent, collar, command(-ment), [idiom] eat, edge, end, entry, [phrase] file, hole, [idiom] in, mind, mouth, part, portion, [idiom] (should) say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, [idiom] s…כְסִילִֽיםkhesilimfoolכְּסִילadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “fool”, the ordinary formH3684properly, fat, i.e. (figuratively) stupid or sillyfool(-ish).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

The legs hang limp from the lame; so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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American Standard Version (1901)

The legs of the lame hang loose; So is a parable in the mouth of fools.

Young’s Literal Translation

Weak have been the two legs of the lame, And a parable in the mouth of fools.

World English Bible

Like the legs of the lame that hang loose, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

Darby Translation

The legs of the lame hang loose; so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Douay-Rheims

As a lame man hath fair legs in vain: so a parable is unseemly in the mouth of fools.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

The legs hang limp from the lame; so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

As well take away the motion of the legs, as transgression from the mouth of fools.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἄφελοῦ πορείαν σκελῶν, καὶ παρανομίαν ἐκ στόματος ἀφρόνων.