“There is a rebuke
That is untimely.
There is also the person
Who is wise enough to keep silent.
How much better it is to rebuke
Than to fume.
Whoever admits his fault
Will be kept from failure.
Like a eunuch’s lusting
To violate a girl,
Is the person who does right
Under compulsion.
Some people keep silent.
They are thought to be wise.
Others are detested
For being too talkative.
Some people keep silent
Because they have nothing to say.
Others keep silent
Because they know
When to speak.
The wise remain silent
Until the right moment.
But boasting fools
Miss the right moment.
Whoever talks too much
Is detested.
Whoever pretends to authority
Is hated.”
Although some criticisms are at the wrong time, there are people wise enough to keep silent. However, it is much better to criticize than to stay fuming about something. If you admit your faults, you will be kept from future failure. Anyone who is forced to do the right thing is like a castrated male eunuch lusting to violate a young girl. There is no reward for this action. Some people who keep silent are considered wise, while others are detested for talking too much. Some people keep silent because they have nothing to say, while the wise ones are just waiting for the right moment to speak. The boasting fools miss the right moment. Some people do not like those who talk too much, while others hate those who pretend to have authority.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 