Proverbs 25
1 These are also proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed:
These are the miscellaneous instructions of Solomon, which the friends of Ezekias king of Judea copied out.
2 The glory of God [is] to hide a thing, And the glory of kings [is] to search out a matter.
The glory of God conceals a matter: but the glory of a king honours business.
3 The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings—[are] unsearchable.
Heaven is high, and earth is deep, and a king's heart is unsearchable.
4 Take away dross from silver, And a vessel goes forth for the refiner,
Beat the drossy silver, and it shall be made entirely pure.
5 Take away the wicked before a king, And his throne is established in righteousness.
Slay the ungodly from before the king, and his throne shall prosper in righteousness.
6 Do not honor yourself before a king, And do not stand in the place of the great.
Be not boastful in the presence of the king, and remain not in the places of princes;
7 For better [that] he has said to you, “Come up here,” Than [that] he humbles you before a noble, Whom your eyes have seen.
for [it is] better for you that it should be said, Come up to me, than that [one] should humble you in the presence of the prince; speak of that which your eyes have seen.
8 Do not go forth to strive, hurry, turn, What do you do in its latter end, When your neighbor causes you to blush?
Get not suddenly into a quarrel, lest you repent at last.
9 Plead your cause with your neighbor, And do not reveal the secret counsel of another,
Whenever your friend shall reproach you, retreat backward, despise [him] not;
10 Lest the hearer put you to shame, And your evil report not turn back.
lest your friend continue to reproach you, so your quarrel and enmity shall not depart, but shall be to you like death. Favour and friendship set [a man] free, which do you keep for yourself, lest you be made liable to reproach; but take heed to your ways peaceably.
11 Apples of gold in imagery of silver, [Is] the word spoken at its fit times.
[As] a golden apple in a necklace of sardius, so [is it] to speak a [wise] word.
12 A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, [Is] the wise reprover to an attentive ear.
In an ear-ring of gold a precious sardius is also set; [so is] a wise word to an obedient ear.
13 As a vessel of snow in a day of harvest, [So is] a faithful ambassador to those sending him, And he refreshes the soul of his masters.
As a fall of snow in the time of harvest is good against heat, so a faithful messenger [refreshes] those that send him; for he helps the souls of his employers.
14 Clouds and wind without rain, [Is] a man boasting himself in a false gift.
As winds and clouds and rains are most evident [objects], so is he that boasts of a false gift.
15 A ruler is persuaded by long-suffering, And a soft tongue breaks a bone.
In longsuffering is prosperity to kings, and a soft tongue breaks the bones.
16 You have found honey—eat your sufficiency, Lest you are satiated [with] it, and have vomited it.
Having found honey, eat [only] what is enough, lest haply you be filled, and vomit it up.
17 Withdraw your foot from your neighbor’s house, Lest he is satiated [with] you, and has hated you.
Enter sparingly into your friend's house, lest he be satiated with your company, and hate you.
18 A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, [Is] the man testifying a false testimony against his neighbor.
[As] a club, and a dagger, and a pointed arrow, so also is a man who bears false witness against his friend.
19 A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, [Is] the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity.
The way of the wicked and the foot of the transgressor shall perish in an evil day.
20 Whoever is taking away a garment in a cold day, [Is as] vinegar on natron, And a singer of songs on a sad heart.
As vinegar is bad for a sore, so trouble befalling the body afflicts the heart. As a moth in a garment, and a worm in wood, so the grief of a man hurts the heart.
21 If he who is hating you hungers, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirsts, cause him to drink water.
If your enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink;
22 For you are putting coals on his head, And YHWH gives repayment to you.
for so doing you shall heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward you [with] good.
23 A north wind brings forth rain, And a secret tongue—indignant faces.
The north wind raises clouds; so an impudent face provokes the tongue.
24 Better to sit on a corner of a roof, Than [with] a woman of contentions, and a house of company.
[It is] better to dwell on a corner of the roof, than with a railing woman in an open house.
25 [As] cold waters for a weary soul, So [is] a good report from a far country.
As cold water is agreeable to a thirsting soul, so is a good message from a land far off.
26 A spring troubled, and a fountain corrupt, [Is] the righteous falling before the wicked.
As if one should stop a well, and corrupt a spring of water, so [is it] unseemly for a righteous man to fall before an ungodly man.
27 The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one’s own honor—honor.
[It is] not good to eat much honey; but it is right to honour venerable sayings.
28 A city broken down without walls, [Is] a man without restraint over his spirit!
As a city whose walls are broken down, and which is unfortified, so is a man who does anything without counsel.
