Proverbs 25
1 These are also proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed:
THESE ARE ALSO PARABLES of Salomon, which the men of Hezekiah King of Iudah copied out.
2 The glory of God [is] to hide a thing, And the glory of kings [is] to search out a matter.
The glorie of God is to conceale a thing secret: but the Kings honour is to search out a thing.
3 The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings—[are] unsearchable.
The heaues in height, and the earth in deepenes, and the Kings heart can no man search out.
4 Take away dross from silver, And a vessel goes forth for the refiner,
Take the drosse from the siluer, and there shall proceede a vessell for the finer.
5 Take away the wicked before a king, And his throne is established in righteousness.
Take away the wicked from the King, and his throne shall be stablished in righteousnes.
6 Do not honor yourself before a king, And do not stand in the place of the great.
Boast not thy selfe before the King, and stand not in the place of great men.
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, that it be saide vnto thee, Come vp hither, then thou to be put lower in the presece of the prince whom thine eyes haue seene.
8 Do not go forth to strive, hurry, turn, What do you do in its latter end, When your neighbor causes you to blush?
Goe not foorth hastily to strife, least thou know not what to doe in the ende thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.
9 Plead your cause with your neighbor, And do not reveal the secret counsel of another,
Debate thy matter with thy neighbour, and discouer not the secret to another,
10 Lest the hearer put you to shame, And your evil report not turn back.
Least he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamie doe not cease.
11 Apples of gold in imagery of silver, [Is] the word spoken at its fit times.
A word spoken in his place, is like apples of golde with pictures of siluer.
12 A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, [Is] the wise reprover to an attentive ear.
He that reprooueth the wise, and the obedient eare, is as a golden earering and an ornament of fine golde.
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 the colde of the snowe in the time of haruest, so is a faithfull messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soule of his masters.
14 Clouds and wind without rain, [Is] a man boasting himself in a false gift.
A man that boasteth of false liberalitie, is like cloudes and winde without raine.
15 A ruler is persuaded by long-suffering, And a soft tongue breaks a bone.
A Prince is pacified by staying of anger, and a soft tongue breaketh the bones.
16 You have found honey—eat your sufficiency, Lest you are satiated [with] it, and have vomited it.
If thou haue found hony, eate that is sufficient for thee, least thou be ouerfull, and vomit it.
17 Withdraw your foot from your neighbor’s house, Lest he is satiated [with] you, and has hated you.
Withdrawe thy foote from thy neighbours house, least he be weary of thee, and hate thee.
18 A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, [Is] the man testifying a false testimony against his neighbor.
A man that beareth false witnes against his neighbour, is like an hammer and a sword, and a sharpe arrowe.
19 A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, [Is] the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity.
Confidence in an vnfaythfull man in time of trouble, is like a broken tooth and a sliding foote.
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.
Hee that taketh away the garment in the colde season, is like vineger powred vpon nitre, or like him that singeth songs to an heauy heart.
21 If he who is hating you hungers, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirsts, cause him to drink water.
If hee that hateth thee be hungry, giue him bread to eate, and if he be thirstie, giue him water to drinke.
22 For you are putting coals on his head, And YHWH gives repayment to you.
For thou shalt lay coles vpon his head, and the Lord shall recompense thee.
23 A north wind brings forth rain, And a secret tongue—indignant faces.
As the Northwinde driueth away the raine, so doeth an angry countenance the slandering 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 in a corner of the house top, then with a contentious woman in a wide house.
25 [As] cold waters for a weary soul, So [is] a good report from a far country.
As are the colde waters to a weary soule, so is good newes from a farre countery.
26 A spring troubled, and a fountain corrupt, [Is] the righteous falling before the wicked.
A righteous man falling downe before the wicked, is like a troubled well, and a corrupt spring.
27 The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one’s own honor—honor.
It is not good to eate much hony: so to search their owne glory is not glory.
28 A city broken down without walls, [Is] a man without restraint over his spirit!
A man that refraineth not his appetite, is like a citie which is broken downe and without walles.
