- English translation
Someone prayed, "Lord, let me go into the tyrants' house and come out unharmed." The reply: "Why go in, so that you need getting out?"
- Literal wording
He said: "O my Lord, bring us into the house of the oppressors and bring us out safe." He said: "And what brings you in, and what brings you out?"
- Meaning and lesson
A person asks God to let them go into the home of unjust people and leave unharmed. The answer comes back as a pointed question: why go in there at all? Avoiding a risky place is wiser than asking to survive it, and needing a safe exit is a problem you could have avoided.
The saying encourages people to stay away from what can hurt them instead of trusting luck or protection to save them. The verbs in the plea can be read either as a request or as thanks for an escape that already happened. In both readings, the reply criticizes the choice to enter.
- When it is used
Use it when someone wants help or sympathy for escaping trouble they chose to walk into, such as dealing with known cheats. It shifts attention from asking for a rescue to questioning the decision to approach the danger at all.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Someone prayed, "Lord, let me go into the tyrants' house and come out unharmed." The reply: "Why go in, so that you need getting out?"