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Answer key (separate)‹ Back to chapter 26

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Proverbs 26 · Preschool

No Gossip

Name Date

Color the little campfire going out!

Can you find these in the picture? Circle each one!

Bible Verse

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

Proverbs 26:20 (WEB)

Prayer

Thank You, God, for making me!

Take It Home

Read the verse aloud. Say: A fire needs wood to keep burning. A fight needs mean words to keep going. When we stop saying unkind things, the fight goes out.

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

Proverbs 26 · Kindergarten

Kind Words

Name Date

Trace the Words

Trace each word with your pencil.

FIRE
WOOD
DOOR
BED
For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.

Proverbs 26:20 (WEB)

Match the Pictures

Draw a line from each word to its picture.

FIRE
WOOD
DOOR
BED

Mini Maze

Help find the way through the maze.

Draw It

Draw someone telling the truth.

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for honest words. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • What makes a fire go out?
  • How can you stop a fight?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

Proverbs 26 · Grade 1

Fire Goes Out

Name Date

Trace the Words

Trace the words and the verse.

FIRE
WOOD
GOSSIP
LAZY
For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.

Proverbs 26:20 (WEB)

Match the Pictures

Draw a line from each sentence to its picture.

Without wood, a fire goes out.
Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.
A lazy man turns in bed like a door.
The sluggard says, There is a lion in the road!
Don't be wise in your own eyes.

Fools, Sluggards, and Gossips

Write the number 1 to 4 in each circle to show the right order.

Without gossip, a quarrel dies down

For lack of wood a fire goes out

Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool

The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels

Draw someone telling the truth.

Memory Verse

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

Proverbs 26:20 (WEB)

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for honest words. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • What helps a quarrel die down?
  • What is gossip?
  • What would you like to say to God about this chapter?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

Proverbs 26 · Grade 2

A Fire Goes Out

Name Date

Read the Story

Proverbs says, For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down. Gossip is saying unkind things about people behind their backs.

Proverbs says a lazy person turns in his bed like a door turns on its hinges. He does not want to get up and work.

Proverbs says it is not good to think we are wiser than everyone else. We should be humble and learn.

Memory Verse

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

Proverbs 26:20 (WEB)

Show What You Know

Circle the right answer, or write it on the lines.

  1. When does a fire go out?

    No gossipLike a door on its hingesFor lack of wood

  2. What helps a quarrel die down?

    No gossipLike a door on its hingesFor lack of wood

  3. What is gossip?

  4. How does a lazy person turn in bed?

Word Search

Find and circle each word. Words go across and down.

UTMPWMKHOWORDSVGJCLHWLFNAWLGOSSIPUPIGQUARRELOKASNOWCBNMEDSUMMERVFIREVVUSWOODAHKPG
  • QUARREL
  • GOSSIP
  • SUMMER
  • WORDS
  • WOOD
  • FIRE
  • SNOW
  • LION

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for honest words. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • How can you stop a fight from growing?
  • What excuse does the sluggard make?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

Proverbs 26 · Grade 3

Without Gossip

Name Date

Read the Story

Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. Pride keeps people from learning.

The sluggard says, There is a lion in the road! He makes up excuses so he does not have to work. As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed.

For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down. Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it.

Memory Verse

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

Proverbs 26:20 (WEB)

Answer the Questions

  1. Who has less hope than a fool?

  2. What keeps people from learning?

  3. What does the sluggard say?

  4. Who shall fall into a pit?

Fools, Sluggards, and Gossips

Write what happened in each box.

1
2
3
4

Word Search

Find each word. Words go across, down, and diagonally.

MSNOWTFUSQDFYNNUUUOUCLWVVWMFGAWIOLGMUOWROORJEISNIRONDRTSEOMEDRSUIPUHJLJRKPFIREORT
  • QUARREL
  • GOSSIP
  • SUMMER
  • WORDS
  • WOOD
  • FIRE
  • SNOW
  • LION

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for honest words. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • Why is it dangerous to think we are always right?
  • What happens to whoever digs a pit?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

Proverbs 26 · Grade 4

Three Warnings

Name Date

Read and Think

Proverbs 26 begins with fools. Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool. Don't answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. Wisdom knows which response fits each moment. Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Next come sluggards. The sluggard says, There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion roams the streets! As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish. He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

Last come gossips and liars. For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down. The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels. Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering mouth works ruin.

Show What You Know

  1. What is honor for a fool like?

  2. What does wisdom know?

  3. What is the sluggard too lazy to do?

  4. What are a whisperer's words like?

  5. What does a flattering mouth work?

Word Bank Fill-In

Use the word bank to fill in each blank.

woodsnowgossipwordslion
  1. Like in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.
  2. The sluggard says, There is a in the road!
  3. For lack of a fire goes out.
  4. Without , a quarrel dies down.
  5. The of a whisperer are as dainty morsels.

Think About It

  1. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down. What can you do when you hear gossip?

  2. The sluggard makes excuses like a lion in the road. What excuses do you sometimes make to avoid work?

Memory Verse

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

Proverbs 26:20 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for honest words. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • Why is gossip so tempting to hear?
  • How can you start a hard task instead of putting it off?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.

Proverbs 26 · Grade 5

Portraits of Folly

Name Date

Read and Think

Chapter 26 paints three portraits. First, the fool. Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool. Verses 4 and 5 appear to contradict each other: Don't answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. Together they teach that wisdom means judging each situation, not following a single rule. As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly. Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Second, the sluggard. The sluggard says, There is a lion in the road! As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed. The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer with discretion. Laziness often hides behind clever excuses.

Third, the troublemaker. Like one who grabs a dog's ears is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own. For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down. A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but he harbors evil in his heart. Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. In the New Testament, James writes that a small fire can spread to a large forest (James 3:5).

Show What You Know

  1. What do verses 4 and 5 teach together?

  2. What is a fool who repeats his folly like?

  3. What does laziness often hide behind?

  4. What is meddling in a quarrel not your own like?

  5. What does James say a small fire can do?

Crossword

43251

Across

  1. The words of a ____ are as dainty morsels
  2. As the door turns on its ____

Down

  1. Like ____ in summer
  2. For lack of wood a ____ goes out
  3. There is a ____ in the road

Think About It

  1. The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men. How can pride and laziness go together?

  2. Meddling in a quarrel not your own is like grabbing a dog's ears. When should you stay out of someone else's argument, and when should you help?

Memory Verse

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

Proverbs 26:20 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for honest words. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • How can you stay teachable instead of thinking you know it all?
  • How can you stay away from gossip?
  • What is one way you could live out this chapter this week?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.