This Proverb says, “Do not go out hastily to argue your case; otherwise what will you do in the end when your neighbor puts you to shame? Argue your case with your neighbor and do not reveal the secret of another, lest he who hears it reproach you, and the evil report about you not pass away.”
When we are discussing a contentious issue with someone, we should not be unprepared. Rather, we should carefully think through what we are going to say in support of our position. If we are unprepared for such a discussion, we may be put in a position of saying something that we should not say. Specifically, we may reveal another person’s secret without thinking through the consequences of doing so.
Unfortunately, once we reveal another person’s secret that they have trusted us with, we cannot undo the damage that is done. It will be damaging to the person whose secret has been revealed. It will also be damaging to us. Our reputation will suffer. We may become viewed as being an untrustworthy person.
A damaged reputation is very difficult if not impossible to fix. Our friends and acquaintances may no longer trust us. In fact they may defame us to others, further damaging our reputation.
What we speak is extremely important. Our words can do much damage to others. We should therefore choose our words carefully. As the Bible says, we should be quick to listen but slow to speak.
