honor is not fitting for a fool.
2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
3 A whip for the horse, a halter for the donkey,
and a rod for the backs of fools!
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you will be like him yourself.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.
6 Like cutting off one's feet or drinking violence
is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.
7 Like a lame man's legs that hang limp
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
8 Like tying a stone in a sling
is the giving of honor to a fool.
9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard's hand
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
10 Like an archer who wounds at random
is he who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit,
so a fool repeats his folly.
12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!"
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed.
Questions to consider:
- Characterize a fool.
- What should be your response to a fool?
- How can you distinguish fools and wise men?
- Compare a conceited man with a fool.
Possibilities for prayer:
Verse 12 is pretty intense! We need to be careful to not think too highly of ourselves. After reading all about fools in the previous verses of this passage, suggesting that someone who is “wise in his own eyes” has less hope than a fool seems like a pretty serious comparison! Today, let’s ask God to give us humble hearts--that we would never think ourselves better than we are, or better than others around us. Let’s ask to be focused on the good things of God rather than the good things of ourselves.
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