New Revised Standard NRS
New International Version NIV
4 Do not answer fools according to their folly, or you will be a fool yourself.
4
Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.
5 Answer fools according to their folly, or they will be wise in their own eyes.
5
Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.
6 It is like cutting off one's foot and drinking down violence, to send a message by a fool.
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Sending a message by the hands of a fool is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
7 The legs of a disabled person hang limp; so does a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
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Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
8 It is like binding a stone in a sling to give honor to a fool.
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Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.
9 Like a thornbush brandished by the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
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Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
10 Like an archer who wounds everybody is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.
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Like an archer who wounds at random is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who reverts to his folly.
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As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.
12 Do you see persons wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for fools than for them.
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Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them.
13 The lazy person says, "There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!"
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A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!”
14 As a door turns on its hinges, so does a lazy person in bed.
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As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.