Proverbs 26

This chapter has many interesting points concerning ones walk each day and further instruction elaborating on what to do about the fool and sluggard. If there is concern about how to deal with a situation where you yourself are a fool, the instructions here could bring that to light and you may want to stop right here and pray that God would reveal to you all that is here in these verses and especially pray that your spirit would be such that you would receive His instruction no matter what.

This is the day of my first born son and my grandma and the day in which I became one with the sweetest princess on earth.

1 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.

Another example of what this verse is likened to is as if a twelve-year-old young man were to expound to the experienced mechanic what was wrong with an automobile. Most of us have experienced the feelings of this conjecture when someone whom does not have their life in order and yet they seem to be an authority on matters. Wait a second here before you go on to the next verse. Stop and think now and look at your own life. I think it would be safe to say that most of us not only have seen and experienced this sort of thing but if we look long and hard at ourselves we could more than likely say WE DO THIS. I guess what I am saying here is that we should always be cautious when giving advice and offering solutions to others. The most dangerous aspect of this is the instantaneous consideration within ourselves to think we are an authority on the matter. You know what? We may be, but only on that matter and maybe others see us as a fool in many other matters. This alone, I would hope, should cause us to be of a humble spirit when and where we can help.

2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

The NIV says it like this: “Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.” Even with that the verse is somewhat difficult to understand. It simply states that if someone, especially a fool slings a dastardly curse your way that you understand that it has no impact. In Pr 27:14 “He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.” This verse is much clearer about the spirit of the one cursing. Be careful again to consider those things you may conjure a self-righteous unction to have happen to someone or something. I have many a time said in my heart and in fact out loud in the privacy of my car something laden with the barbs of this heart condition. Just know this; none of the empty curses hurled our way and those we inflict on others is going to actually happen. The most important thing to learn from this simple verse is that it should serve to warn us about our deceitful hearts for this CAN help us to know it as we examine it through the looking glass of the scriptures.

3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.

The idea here is that all these things are common to us, even the rod for the back of a fool. If you want a stubborn horse to move from where it is a whip is used to sting it to make it head in the right direction. The bridle is another common tool for controlling the direction of the stubborn old horse and so for us the use of the rod is necessary. Now we don’t especially like the rod so it is safe to assume when it comes we are not going to like that it is being used. We are not going to like the fact that it was even necessary to be used on us. In our society today, most of the so-called experts would tell you there are much more soothing ways to get the ass moving. I have moved a horse with hay or sugar cubes before and at the moment the solution seemingly worked. Then suddenly the horse would bolt from the spot and do the same thing they did before to earn a soothing remedy. The principle is simple and one that works with even the youngest of living things: “The pain has to be greater than the gain for wrong behavior and the contrast of course is that the gain has to be greater than the pain for right behavior.” The sad fact is this, we normally don’t just go and always do what God wants us to do. He knows the best way to teach us. Those lessons are hard. They have to be felt or there is but a short-lived lesson without roots.

4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

These two verses at first would seemingly be contradictive and in a way that is exactly the point. By answering a fool, not knowing his folly is just a worthless utterance. Without Wisdom, there is nothing to protect us from this waste of existence. Sometimes however, pointing out to the fool that his folly is full of worthlessness is necessary if done for the purpose of saving the fool. You and I should hope with all we are that we are corrected when we ourselves venture into foolishness. I have written much on the subject of deception and the fact that if indeed we are deceived, how on earth would we know? Well, by the grace of God someone loves us enough to point it out to us that we are being a fool. Yes it stings and the pain is great and as described in verse 3, the use of the rod does not come with the instruction of how much force is applied during the use of the rod. Someone in a loving manner can apply the rod and be there to hold you and begin the healing process through Godly exhortation. If you are equipped with Wisdom you may be used of God for His Glory. It says in Galatians 6:2 ^(NIV) “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Conceit is a horrendous thing to encounter and even worse to own. Conceit is the nursery of many miseries. The most triumphant offspring of Conceit is the numbness to Wisdom’s desire and thus Conceit’s roots are able to thrust deeply into the anesthetized. If you find yourself overly passionate about a certain thing, take a look at it closely. Is it something that should be considered dogmatic? If so, then so it should be, however, if not, consider where you have been with that dogma. Step outside for a moment and look at yourself. You see, one of the symptoms of Conceit is being puffed up and all-knowing. Hence, the shut-down of seeking insight, one of Wisdom’s awesome tools. Another symptom of Conceit is haughtiness. We wear haughtiness like a brilliant sapphire. It arrives almost before we do into a room, all aglow and waving its putrid-ness for all to see. Clearly understand there is a huge difference in being confident and being Conceited. Proper confidence is accompanied by humbleness.

6 He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.

Would you send your taxes to the government by way of the thieves? That is what is meant by “cutteth off the feet.” You would be sponsoring your own ruin if you were to do that. Consider the intimate details of certain circumstances where friendships and partnerships are concerned. This verse warns that if you trust the value of relationships and conditions in your life you will be wise to assign them to those whom you know and trust and certainly not to a fool. The most significant point here is that even the best of fools cannot deliver the insight and intentions of your message for they have no grasp, they are fools.

7 The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

A parable can come from the mouth of a fool, however, it is useless because it is only in the mouth and not the heart. There is more to Wisdom than knowing Her principles, it is living them but even better is them living in us. Look closely at how Paul states our condition here on earth. Read this slowly and carefully:

Romans 7:18 - 25 "¹⁸For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. ¹⁹For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. ²⁰Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. ²¹I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. ²²For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: ²³But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? ²⁵I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

As is true in everyday life, there are choices. Choosing to follow the instructions and insight Wisdom gives us is sometimes difficult. But for most of us the difficulty comes from not knowing the principles.

8 As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.

The word “sling” used here is only used once in the entire Bible. It is from a primitive root word meaning to stone or kill by stoning. If one were to “bindeth a stone in a sling” the context would indicate they are ready to slay someone or something. Giving honor to a fool is like unleashing a pouch of stones on them. You see, when honor is given to a fool when they have not earned it rightfully, there is a sense of validation to their actions. This is the same as death, at least in a spiritual sense because the fool becomes even more numb to truth and the consequences of their actions.

9 As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

A parable in the mouth of a fool is painful from two perspectives. First, the parable has no place in the life of a fool. They do not use the parable as a principle in their lives; they use it to focus attention on someone other than themselves. The parable becomes a diversion in a sense. The other aspect of pain is when a fool expounds the parable, those of us around them are pained hearing what we know to be something absent from their character.

Some translations depict the drunkard with a thorn bush waving it around. Of course those around would do anything to avoid coming in contact with the thorn bush. In a sense that is the same picture we should have when a fool starts spouting parables when we know the person to be a fool.

10 The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

It is difficult to understand at times when Christians who have dedicated themselves openly to serving Christ see those who have not, reap the benefits of God’s principles. Understand this, there is set in motion that which God spoke into existence in the beginning. The forces and principles are there and they are eternally real. They govern how things work. They dictate cause and effect. If a fool has the insight to some of the principles and forces governing his earthly existence, they will see those principles actively resulting in the same results we Christians see. Be thankful that this is indeed the way things are made. Look for a minute at Romans 1:19-22 “¹⁹Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. ²⁰For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: ²¹Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ²²Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools…” My point here is that without this principle we ourselves would not be able to understand the power and sovereignty of God. Actually if you think about it, it should be a blessing to see God’s miraculous creation at work. With all the pithiness in our society, seeing someone reap the benefits of a Supernatural Universe at work might be used to open a door to in that individual’s life. It would help to explain how and where everything came from and even though they were not aware of it, God was working in their lives, free, just like the gift of salvation.

11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

Anyone who has had a dog as a pet has seen this principle in action. Dogs and fools of the past and present do the same thing even today. This is not to imply that a fool who has come from being a fool will always return to being a fool necessarily. This simply means that fools will always do the things fools do until the end of time as long as they continue to be fools.

Lets look at it this way. If we are converted from being fools to being Christians we, being in the flesh, will still have tendencies to do foolish things. Sometimes, the things we do that are viewed as foolish are simply the opinions of onlookers. For instance, buying a new car may be viewed as foolish when considering the expense of the car and the insurance and the license plates not to mention the interest on the loan for an item that depreciates over time. Some may have a view that the money should have been spent on something else and some may think it’s a really cool car and want to go for a ride. Being a fool and doing something foolish are two separate issues. The fool will always be incarcerated by his foolishness and do something foolish to correct his condition. Wisdom cries to the Christian the principles of correction.

12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

I have often read this passage and considered how one would be all puffed up and what we would call in our day, “smart aleck.” I don’t know who Aleck was but he must have been smart but willing to share it with everyone without regard for those whom he would bestow his wisdom. The important thing to see here in this verse is that the “wise in his own conceit” part has more to it than just being someone smart without social grace. There is conceit involved. The definition in Webster’s is: an exaggerated opinion of one's own qualities or abilities: VANITY. You see they have a distorted view of themselves. Then this means a fool has hope because the fool can change or leave his foolishness once he has the correct information. The conceited one will only think there is a growing number of ill-minded.

13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

Seen a lion in the street lately? I have! If you think about it there is something in our path no matter what. To some of us we see it as a lion and to others it is merely a kitten. Some of us are equipped to remove the obstacles and others are not. To the slothful man, the obstacle is something given more credence than should be given. That is why it is considered a lion and not a kitten. I would not be honest with you if I told you I had not done this myself. Seeing something that needs to be done while finding any number of excuses or reasons, which were justified in accordance to the laws of physics and nature to keep from doing something that I didn’t want to do. Somehow it becomes reasonable to reckon it cant be done or even more incredulous, fathom somehow it will be easier to complete later. I think it to be wise to openly admit to myself; “I don’t want to do this” Then I have to ask myself why. The times I do this, I discover there are easy ways to get the thing done or taken care of once the task is examined with the intention of taking care of it no matter what. Sometimes there are little things that need to be done beforehand. You could not complete it if you wanted to unless you consider all the little details that need to be done. The danger of the trap is that we tend to not do anything even the smallest of details, otherwise it would only make sense to go ahead and complete the rest of the smaller items. If we see ourselves cowling from a task, that should be a warning signal to us to get busy considering what needs to be done. If you go back and read the verse again, pause and look at the word lion, in the original Hebrew, the word used there is in the form, which implies, “to roar.” That means there is noise and even the sense of being startled at the thought or scared of what might happen. I find in my own thoughts sometimes that it is much more comforting to contemplate something more pleasant. The second use of the word lion is another Hebrew word meaning violence. So now when you look at the verse, to the sluggard, there is a loud violence in his way. This is all fabricated upon the premise it is easier and justifiable now to just sit and do nothing.

14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

Do you like to sleep? Do you sleep well? This verse is not ordering us as Christians to stop sleeping. It is however a warning to us about the balance of what is justified and necessary compared to an over abundance of rest. The verse simply implies that the slothful one turns or rolls over in their bed the way a door is fastened to the hinges in the doorway in a seemingly permanent fashion. It strikes me here that when I sleep well and wake in the morning having had a good night’s rest, my covers need little attention to restore order. On those days where I have labored at my sleep, where I have tossed and turned, I have to work harder at restoring them to the condition in which I found them. Pr 3:24 “when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Rest assured (no pun intended) sleep is good and a blessing from God unless out of balance.

15 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

I have been over this verse a number of time and each time I cannot help but think of the picture of Napoleon with his hand in his coat in that famous painting. Well that is not the picture we should have here, no, not at all. It seems the picture is much more morbid. The proper image would be one of a sluggard so immersed in his condition that he wants to be fed. That’s right, he wants you and me to put the food on the utensil and place each bite in his mouth. His hand is in his bosom in order to continue the heresy of his condition, that being one of his inability to even feed himself. It strikes me here that we as Christians are this way when it comes to being fed the Word of God. We like to be spoon-fed. We like the Word. We like the way it taste. We even like when it shakes us up a bit and we learn that we need to pay attention to certain things we have neglected or never known before. However, when it comes to feeding ourselves, we want someone to put it on a spoon for us and give it to us so we know how to think or what to think. Look at it this way, if the pastor from the pulpit says, “you should be praying every night before you put your head on the pillow at night to sleep.” Then we run home, say our prayers and sleep. If the pastor says, “you should invite someone to Church.” Then we run off and invite someone. That is being spoon fed. Our actions should be a result of where God has us in our growth. Don’t be a Sluggard Christian. Read for yourself, learn for yourself, act for yourself on Christ’s behalf.

16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

Sometimes things are so complex it is difficult to determine what is right and what is wrong. Those having time to contemplate the intricacies of their fallacies and fasten the connections soundly will cause even wise men to banter with endless garbage. This is another reason we need to consider wisely Pr 26:4-5. The sluggard will find more reasons of logic to justify his condition than seven men with sound reasoning. It is the only way he can continue to exist. Just as you and I maintain a certain humbleness in order to motivate our need to take action and substantiate our existence, the sluggard in his conceit will relish in how he is different and destitute or conditionally unable. If we consider ourselves immune to this condition let me challenge us to this perplexing example. Are we laymen? Do we consider our ability to be limited in understanding the Scriptures? Is it because of the lack of education in a formal institution where the depths of Scripture are clearly understood and taught? Are we young Christians? Would we be better equipped if we were to have better eyesight or better reading comprehension? Would we find it more comforting if we had the ability to go to a Church that was large or small with a minister who understood all of our history and the conditions in which we live or work? There are any number of these contemplations that could place us into the same category as the Sluggard mentioned in this verse I suppose.

17 He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

Warning – do not try this at home. Do not go over to your dog and grab his ear and pull him in the direction you want him to go. You are going to get bitten or nipped at least depending on the demeanor of your pet. The NIV says it this way: “Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.” At this point I think it is a good place to say that learning about what is going on with your neighbor or friend or brother in Christ may not be the best thing and especially if you cannot keep things in confidence. We often ask when we see someone hurting or having a problem, “what is going on?” They will often reply, “Well I would rather not say.” That is when we get really interested because it smacks with the succulence of an over ripen pear dripping all over our face. You should be careful here not to lick your lips in front of them. I say this in jest but I am serious about the ramifications.

We always have a solution for someone else’s problems and we are extremely willing to offer advice as if we are laden with an abundance of Wisdom. In some cases we can help and in others we should just leave it alone and pray earnestly about a “very serious need” in the person’s life. The best thing to do at that point is to suggest a counselor and ask them later if they have sought counsel or if things are better. If they reply yes to either, you can affirm your genuine concerns in the form of, “Good, I have been praying for you everyday.”

This verse is warning us about getting involved and meddling where we shouldn’t. I have seen where a lady having trouble at home with her spouse would get advice from people not only lacking in insight about the lady’s home situation, but they also lack the insight of the Savior. This is a dangerous circumstance to say the least. Getting back to the “taketh a dog by the ears” part, if you get involved like this and things go awry, you can expect to get bitten. That would be true even if you have the insight and wisdom necessary to counsel.

Finding someone in strife is often not as one-sided as the one you hear it from would lead you to believe. Remember the golden rule of counsel: Wisdom is found in a multitude of counselors. Pr 11:14 says: “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Ps 1:1 says: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”

Look at it this way, if you are in the middle of a quarrel, what would be your response to someone coming over to you and saying, “hey what are you talking about?” I know what I would say, “look dude, it’s none of your business.” You must take into account the fact that both parties, assuming there are only two involved, are going to be angry or extremely upset. On second thought, you might have better luck communicating to a dog while you have his ear wrenched in your hand than getting through to the parties involved in a quarrel.

18 As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, 19 So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?

My hope would be that if you are reading this you would not be one to stoop to the position of doing anything like this to your friend or neighbor. You should be warned however that this could happen to you and you should not be surprised. Being equipped with Wisdom would arm you with the proper response and even prevent this sort of thing from happening. The NIV says it this way: “Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows
¹⁹ is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!" This is not the same as playing a joke on someone. My hope would be that while playing a joke on someone you would not intend to inflict him or her with firebrands and arrows and death. Yet we know there are some who would use this sordid approach. Their intent is to glean from an unsuspecting person their possessions or dignity in order to benefit themselves. In the political arena it is called mud-slinging or dirty politics.

Lets ratchet back a bit and look at it from this perspective. Even though you might not desire to brand them exactly but just to point out some deficiency of another individual. Would that be the proper thing to do? I once sought counsel in a situation and the advice I received was this; “If you come between a man and his conscience, it is very likely you will hear how they feel about your concern.” In other words, a man knows in himself what is wrong and when his conscience is prodding him, he has no recourse unless he deals with it and takes the necessary action. Depending on what it is, the person may not be willing at that time to deal with what ever it may be. But now if we come along and say to them, “Hey man, when are you going to take care of that?” There is a good chance you will hear from him about your firing an arrow or branding him with your words.

20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

This may be a good place to go back and glance at the note in Pr 18:8. First lets assume there is a fire or in this case strife. When the talebearer (this could be you or me) comes along and says did you see or hear about that strife? The next statement from within us will make us wood or wise. You see the talebearer pulls up next to us and carefully places a log on the fire right there in front of us. This is to motivate us to do the same and become one of them. If we place a log on the fire we join them and become a talebearer too. Be sure to know this as well, among talebearers there is no integrity. That is why in the Hebrew the word “talebearer” also means whisper, signals to us to be cautious when we are around a talebearer. Don’t think for an instant anything you say is going to be kept in confidence with a talebearer, after all, that is what they do, tell everyone anything they have seen or heard about.

It is interesting how the words of a talebearer are compared to wood. From this perspective the words we use may kindle strife. Be wise with your words. You may work next to “Dr. TB Whispers” but now you know not to participate in the bonfire of strife.

21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

If the talebearer is interested in kindling strife and a contentious man is motivated by his desires to kindle strife then it is easy to connect the talebearers motivation to contentiousness. This is important to understand because it will help to explain the sordid plots and choice of company they keep. “Contentious” means contending and always keeping some discord alive like a gardener tends his most prized orchid. Much like the gardener, the contentious pick very carefully where they plant their seeds and what they water their lies with.

22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

Pr 18:8 is repeated here word for word. This is not an accident especially when it comes to the damage the talebearer leaves behind. “The innermost parts of the belly” is where the convulsions of wrong responses ferment.

23 Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.

“Potsherd” is the hardened clay of pottery and most often in the broken state otherwise it would still be called a pot. The silver dross is the part that is skimmed from the top when the silver is purified. (See the notes in Pr 17:3) Dross only happens with heat, severe heat, and the kind that hurts. The point in this verse is to understand the wicked heart and how it is revealed by the “burning lips” which is translated persecute or persecutions in other parts of the Old Testament. The reason it is compared to the potsherd covered with silver dross is to demonstrate the conniving and deceptiveness of what the wicked say. “Potsherd” is a broken or cracked pot, if the pot was covered with silver dross the cracks in the foundation would not be obvious. Another thing to note here is that even though it is called silver dross, understand it still has silver in it and can be fashioned much like silver, just full of imperfections. One having Wisdom will see what is on the surface and quickly know what lies beneath.

24 He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;

The word “dissembleth” means to recognize or acknowledge. In doing so with lip-service is to say things to someone to sew the seed of discord or create apprehension. Understanding hatred is important. It comes in several flavors. There is abhorrence, hostility, jealousy and various degrees of each. The one thing to understand is that sometimes we have hatred toward someone and we are unaware of our condition. The NIV states it this way: “A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit.” The NAS, like this: “A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit.” The take-away from this verse is to look at the end of the verse and then recount our relationships to see if we “layeth up deceit” in any of those relationships. Another aspect is to recount our interactions to discern what thoughts and emotions were kindled. If we walk away with discomfort or diminished confidence, we may have had an encounter with someone that has a degree of hatred toward us.

25 When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.

Remember the abominations from chapter 6:16 – 19 “¹⁹These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: ¹⁷ A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸ An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, ¹⁹ A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Did you see that last one? Sowing discord is an abomination! Creating calamity is not of the LORD. The hater will try to be subtle and smooth, which is what is meant by “speaketh fair” and then walk away with a proud look having used a lying tongue smacking their hands together as though they have completed their task, while their imaginations reel as they run to the next unsuspecting prey to falsely give witness of what just happened.

26 Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.

This is a continuation of verse 24 concerning “He that hateth.” At some point everything will be revealed. That we can depend on.

27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

This verse is specifically talking about trying to cover up the wrong we may have done instead of confessing it. Often when we realize we have made a mistake we immediately begin trying to either cover our tracks or mend the situation. This verse points out the fact that either we fall into the pit ourselves or the stone (plan) rolls back over us.

28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.

This may be a startling realization to us but the fact is; when we lie to someone it means we “hateth” them. If you don’t believe me go back and read the verse. The phrase “lying tongue” is used in Pr 6:17 where it talks about the Seven Abominations. There is no good thing that can ever come from a lie. The sooner we realize that truth is the path least resistance the sooner we will be at peace.

The “flattering” that is talked about here is not a simple compliment but instead the smooth words used to entice. In Pr 5:3 the same Hebrew word is used; “For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:” There is nothing wrong with giving someone a compliment as long as the purpose is not to get them to do something wrong. If you are ever asked, “Do I look fat in this?” Choose your words wisely.