Reason #1:This proverbs was written by Solomon,who was the wisest man on the earth during his time.Hence,to consider a wise man making such a contradiction is almost unreasonable or hardly possible.

 

Reason #2:The two verses are one after the another.If they were far away the possibility of a contradiction would have been more.

 

Reason #3:Since this is a proverbs,there is a possibility they were written in this manner to catch attention.

 

So what are these verses saying?

 

As a Christians, we must learn to discern when it is proper to answer a fool according to his folly (in the manner his foolishness deserves), and when it is a bad idea to answer a fool according to his folly (lowering ourselves to his undignified level). In both circumstance we have to answer.In one circumstance,according to his folly in another not according to his folly.The right direction or advice of God's Spirit in us, would help us to overcome this circumstance perfectly.

 

An example:

                      Once a muslim wrote the reason no one should eat pig is that,pig is the only creature on earth who has sexual relation with his mother.So by eating it one would behave like a pig because everyone is affected by what he or she eat.This was the folly of that muslim-One would behave similarly to what he or she eat.There was a Hindu girl who saw this comment and responded like this :You are right.According to your very logic,the reason muslims behave like animals is because they eat animals.Thus this Hindu girl who is a vegeterian answered this muslim according to his folly.She wanted him to become a vegeterian like her.Since i am a non-vegeterian i answered this muslim like this:Are you a Homosexual?Since sheeps are homosexual.Do you think that womens in your home have multiple partners?since hens have multiple partners.Thus you need to change your view that eating a animal would make someone behave like that animal.Thus i answered that muslim not according to his folly.I did not agree with his foolish statement.If i agreed with his foolish statement , I would have become a fool like him,because i am a non-vegeterian.This was not the case with that Hindu girl.