Answer A Fool According To His Folly

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.

Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.

Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

Sending a message by the hands of a fool is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.

Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.

Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

Like an archer who wounds at random is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.

As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.

Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them.

Proverbs 26:1-12

The book of Proverbs was collected about 3,000 years ago, but its timeless wisdom is as up-to-date as today’s breaking news. Two proverbs seem at first glance to contradict each other, yet they apply perfectly to social media. “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.” And then, “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.”

God gives us an amazing range of freedoms. We are free to choose what we will say, and when and how we will say it. And we are always free to ask Him for wisdom.

Let love be your highest goal.

Our Daily Bread – August 4, 2015