(A)Do not answer a fool [a]according to his foolishness,
Or you will also be like him.
(B)Answer a fool as his foolishness deserves,
So that he will not be (C)wise in his own eyes.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:4 I.e., taking his question or argument seriously

Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools,
    or you will become as foolish as they are.

Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools,
    or they will become wise in their own estimation.

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17 Like one who takes a dog by the ears,
So is one who passes by and [a]meddles with (A)strife not belonging to him.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:17 Lit infuriates himself

17 Interfering in someone else’s argument
    is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears.

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20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no (A)gossiper, (B)quarreling quiets down.
21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a (C)contentious person to kindle strife.

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20 Fire goes out without wood,
    and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.

21 A quarrelsome person starts fights
    as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood.

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22 An (A)angry person stirs up strife,
And a hot-tempered person abounds in wrongdoing.

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22 An angry person starts fights;
    a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin.

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33 For the [a]churning of milk produces butter,
And pressing the nose produces blood;
So the [b]churning of (A)anger produces strife.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 30:33 Lit pressing
  2. Proverbs 30:33 Lit pressing

33 As the beating of cream yields butter
    and striking the nose causes bleeding,
    so stirring up anger causes quarrels.

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