Folly

My lord should pay no attention to this scoundrel Nabal, for he lives up to his name: His name means Fool, and folly accompanies him. I, your servant, did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent.

…and further, that in His anger He has not punished or taken much notice of folly!

So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.”

My wounds are foul and festering because of my sinful folly.

You know my folly, O God, and my guilt is not hidden from You.

I will listen to what God the LORD will say; for He will surely speak peace to His people and His saints; He will not let them return to folly.

He dies for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.

Leave your folly behind, and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.”

The woman named Folly is loud; she is naive and knows nothing.

A shrewd man keeps his knowledge to himself, but a foolish heart proclaims its folly.

Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly.

The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them.

The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the effort of fools is folly.

A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man promotes folly.

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly.

A discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

Folly is joy to one who lacks judgment, but a man of understanding walks a straight path.

Understanding is a fountain of life to its possessor, but the discipline of fools is folly.

It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.

He who answers a matter before he hears it—this is folly and disgrace to him.

A man’s own folly subverts his way, yet his heart rages against the LORD.

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

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.

As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

Though you grind a fool like grain with mortar and a pestle, yet his folly will not depart from him.

So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.

I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished?

And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:

I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.

As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

Folly is appointed to great heights, but the rich sit in lowly positions.

The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness.

Therefore the Lord takes no pleasure in their young men; He has no compassion on their fatherless and widows. For every one of them is godless and wicked, and every mouth speaks folly. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.

But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone.