The one who gives an answer ¹  before he listens ²  – that is his folly and his shame. ³ 

biblegateway Pro 18:13

He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him.

The one who gives an answer before he listens--this is foolishness and disgrace for him.

Whoever gives an answer before he listens is stupid and shameful.

biblegateway Pro 18:13

He who answers before listening—that is his folly and his shame.

If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.

bibleoremus Pro 18:13

If one gives answer before hearing, it is folly and shame.

To answer a question before you have heard it out is both stupid and insulting.

biblegateway Pro 18:13

He who answers a matter before he hears it , It is folly and shame to him.

He that answereth a matter before he heareth [it], it [is] folly and shame unto him.

biblegateway Pro 18:13

The one who gives an answer ¹  before he listens ²  – that is his folly and his shame. ³ 

¹ tn Heb “returns a word”; KJV “He that answereth a matter.”

² sn Poor listening and premature answering indicate that the person has a low regard for what the other is saying, or that he is too absorbed in his own ideas. The Mishnah lists this as the second characteristic of the uncultured person (m. Avot 5:7).

³ tn Heb “it is folly to him and shame.” The verse uses formal parallelism, with the second colon simply completing the thought of the first.