Proverbs 26:4 - Easy To Read Version \{Here is a difficult situation:\} If a fool asks a stupid question, then don’t give him a stupid answer or you, too, will look like a fool. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou also be like unto him. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition Answer not a [self-confident] fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. American Standard Version (1901) Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou also be like unto him. Common English Bible Don’t answer fools according to their folly, or you will become like them yourself. Catholic Public Domain Version Do not respond to the foolish according to his folly, lest you become like him. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou be made like him. |
He did what his friends told him to do. Rehoboam said, “My father forced you to work hard. So I will give you even more work. My father used whips to force you to work. I will beat you with whips that have sharp pieces of metal in them [151] to cut you!”
All the people of Israel saw that the new king refused to listen to them. So the people said to the king: “Are we part of David’s family? No! Do we get any of Jesse’s land? No! So Israel, let’s go to our own homes. Let David’s son rule his own people!” So the people of Israel went home.
If you start an argument, it is like breaking a hole in a dam. So stop the argument before it becomes bigger and bigger.
But if a fool asks a stupid question, then you should give him a stupid answer or he will think he is very smart.
If a wise person tries to settle a problem with a fool, then the fool will argue and say stupid things. And the two people will never agree.
But the people in Jerusalem were very quiet. They did not say a word to the commander because King Hezekiah had given them a command. He said, “Don’t say anything to him.”
“Don’t give holy things to dogs. They will only turn and hurt you. And don’t throw your pearls to pigs. They will only step on them.
Don’t do wrong to a person to pay him back for doing wrong to you. Or don’t say something bad to a person to pay him back for saying something bad to you. But \{ask God to\} bless that person. Do this, because you yourselves were called to receive a blessing.