Proverbs 26:3-5
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
3 The whip for the horse, the bridle for the ass,
and the rod for the back of fools.(A)
4 [a]Do not answer fools according to their folly,
lest you too become like them.
5 Answer fools according to their folly,
lest they become wise in their own eyes.
Footnotes
- 26:4–5 There is no contradiction between these two proverbs. In their answers, the wise must protect their own interests against fools. Or perhaps the juxtaposition of the two proverbs suggests that no single proverb can resolve every problem in life.
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