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Do not answer a fool according to his folly
    lest you become like him—even you.
Answer a fool according to his folly,
    or else he will be wise in his own eyes.

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(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

17 Grabbing onto the ears of a dog
    passing by is one who meddles in a quarrel that is not his own.

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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

20 For lack of wood, a fire goes out,
    and where there is no whisperer, quarreling will cease.
21 As charcoal is to hot embers and wood is to fire,
    so a man of quarrels is to kindling strife.

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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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22 A man of anger will stir strife,
    and the owner of anger, much transgression.

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

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33 For pressing milk produces curd,
    and pressing the nose produces blood,
    so pressing anger[a] produces strife.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 30:33 Literally “nostrils”

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