Day 26 of Pastor Chris' Paraphrase of Proverbs Devotional

Day 26  You don't always have to prove you're right and it's futile to argue with fools anyway. Why waste time on futility that will just make you look silly? Better to focus on something more rewarding and productive. Pastor Chris' Paraphrase of Proverbs 26:3-5, & 12 3 You drive a horse with a whip, a donkey with a bridle, and a fool with switch to the back. 4-5 Don’t try to answer every ridiculous argument a fool makes. You’ll just sound foolish like them.  Set a fool straight only when you must; show how absurd their “wisdom” really is. 12 Fools have a better chance than people who think they know it all. It's best to just ignore fools when they spout nonsense about something that doesn't really matter. However, you need to speak up if it's something important. When you do, don't get sucked into their way of thinking and arguing. Don't build your case on their flawed thinking. Start with the truth and expose their folly so they don't lead themselves or anyone else astray. Prayer "Holy Spirit, help me to see when my thinking is wrong-headed. Guide me gently to the Truth. Help me to be wise and know when it is best to just ignore foolish reasoning and when it is time to set someone straight. Amen." Read Proverbs Chapter 26
New American Standard Bible	Pastor Chris’ Paraphrase
Proverbs 26 Similitudes, Instructions 1 Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool. 2 Like a sparrow in its [a]flitting, like a swallow in its flying, So a curse without cause does not [b]alight. 3 A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the back of fools. 4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him. 5 Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes. 6 He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence Who sends a message by the hand of a fool. 7 Like the legs which [c]are useless to the lame, So is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 8 Like [d]one who binds a stone in a sling, So is he who gives honor to a fool. 9 Like a thorn which [e]falls into the hand of a drunkard, So is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 10 [f]Like an archer who wounds everyone, So is he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by. 11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit Is a fool who repeats [g]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 lion is [h]in the open square!” 14 As the door turns on its hinges, So does the sluggard on his bed. 15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again. 16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can [i]give a discreet answer. 17 Like one who takes a dog by the ears Is he who passes by and [j]meddles with strife not belonging to him. 18 Like a madman who throws Firebrands, arrows and death, 19 So is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, “Was I not joking?” 20 For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down. 21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle  strife. 22 The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the [k]innermost parts of the body. 23 Like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross Are burning lips and a wicked heart. 24 He who hates disguises it with his lips, But he lays up deceit in his [l]heart. 25 When [m]he speaks graciously, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart. 26 Though his hatred covers itself with guile, His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly. 27 He who digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him. 28 A lying tongue hates [n]those it crushes, And a flattering mouth works ruin. Footnotes: Proverbs 26:2 Lit wandering Proverbs 26:2 Lit come Proverbs 26:7 Lit hang down from Proverbs 26:8 Lit the binding of Proverbs 26:9 Lit goes up Proverbs 26:10 Or A master workman produces all things, But he who hires a fool is like one who hires those who pass by Proverbs 26:11 Lit with his Proverbs 26:13 Lit within Proverbs 26:16 Lit return discreetly Proverbs 26:17 Lit infuriates himself Proverbs 26:22 Lit chambers of the belly Proverbs 26:24 Lit inward part Proverbs 26:25 Lit his voice is gracious Proverbs 26:28 Lit its crushed ones	Proverbs 26 1 It doesn't snow in the summer and you don't want rain during the harvest and honor doesn't belong with fools. 2 A curse you don’t deserve is less likely to hurt you than a little bird is to land on your head. 3 You drive a horse with a whip, a donkey with a bridle, and a fool with switch to the back. 4-5 Don’t try to answer every ridiculous argument a fool makes. You’ll just sound foolish like them. Set a fool straight only when you must; show how absurd their “wisdom” really is. 6 Entrusting an important message to a fool makes about as much sense as cutting off your own foot or drinking poison. 7 A wise saying from a fool is about as useless as a paralyzed leg. 8 Giving honor to a fool is like tying a stone to your slingshot. 9 A fool with a wise saying is like a drunk grabbing a stick full of thorns. 10 Someone who hires fools or some random stranger walking by is like a careless archer who doesn’t look where he’s shooting and ends up hurting someone. 11 A fool who keeps repeating the same foolish mistakes is like a dog that eats his own vomit. 12 Fools have a better chance than people who think they know it all. 13-16 Someone lazy makes an excuse, “I can’t! There’s a lion in the road, a lion out in the streets!” They turn over in bed like a door swinging open and closed. They’re so lazy, they’ll grab a handful of food, but are too tired to lift it to their mouth to eat. Yet they think they know more than the wisest council. 17 Butting into someone else’s argument is as dumb as grabbing a stray dog’s ear. 18-19 Someone who lies to their friends and then claims “It was just a joke!” is like a madman shooting flaming arrows wildly into a crowd. 20-28 The fire goes out when you run out of wood and the drama ends when people stop whispering. Charcoal makes hot embers and wood fuels a fire. Well, a person who loves to fight stirs up trouble. Gossip is like a sinful snack; it taste so good, but people are what they eat. The charm of an evil person is like the decorative glaze on a clay pot. An enemy may be polite and speak graciously to you even though they are full of hate inside. So don’t be fooled by his kind words. His heart toward you is completely wrong. He can hide his inner hatred for a time, but his evil intentions will be exposed in a public gathering. If you make a pitfall for others, you’ll eventually fall in it yourself. If you push a boulder down a hill towards someone, it will roll over you instead. Lying is hateful and flattery ruins people.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation	Pastor Chris’ Paraphrase of Proverbs (PCP) Copyright © 2018 by Chris Mullis