Proverbs 25
1 These are also proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed:
Also these are the proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah the king of Judah have collected.
2 The glory of God [is] to hide a thing, And the glory of kings [is] to search out a matter.
It is the honor of God to conceal a thing; but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.
3 The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings—[are] unsearchable.
As are the heavens for height, and the earth is for depth, so should the heart of kings be unsearchable.
4 Take away dross from silver, And a vessel goes forth for the refiner,
Take away the dross from the silver, and there will come forth a vessel for the melter.
5 Take away the wicked before a king, And his throne is established in righteousness.
Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne will be firmly established in righteousness.
6 Do not honor yourself before a king, And do not stand in the place of the great.
Do not glorify thyself in the presence of the king, and force thyself not into 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 better it is that it be said unto thee, “Come up hither,” than that thou shouldst be put lower in the presence of the prince, which thy own eyes have [often] 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?
Do not proceed to a contest hastily, lest [thou know not] what thou wilt have to do at its end, when thy neighbor hath put thee to confusion.
9 Plead your cause with your neighbor, And do not reveal the secret counsel of another,
Carry on thy cause with thy neighbor; but lay not open the secret of another:
10 Lest the hearer put you to shame, And your evil report not turn back.
Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thy infamy never be removed.
11 Apples of gold in imagery of silver, [Is] the word spoken at its fit times.
Like apples of gold among figures of silver is a word spoken in a proper manner.
12 A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, [Is] the wise reprover to an attentive ear.
As an earring of gold, and a pendant of fine gold, so is a wise reprover toward an ear that listeneth.
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 cooling of snow on a harvest-day, so is a faithful messenger to those that send him; for he refresheth the soul of his master.
14 Clouds and wind without rain, [Is] a man boasting himself in a false gift.
Like clouds and wind without rain, so is a man that vaunteth falsely of a gift.
15 A ruler is persuaded by long-suffering, And a soft tongue breaks a bone.
By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh bones.
16 You have found honey—eat your sufficiency, Lest you are satiated [with] it, and have vomited it.
Hast thou found honey: eat so much as is sufficient for thee: lest thou consume too much of it, and have to vomit it forth.
17 Withdraw your foot from your neighbor’s house, Lest he is satiated [with] you, and has hated you.
Make thy foot scarce in the house of thy friend: lest he have too much of thee, and so hate thee.
18 A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, [Is] the man testifying a false testimony against his neighbor.
A battle-axe, and a sword, and a sharpened arrow is a man that testifieth as a false witness against his neighbor.
19 A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, [Is] the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity.
Like a broken tooth and a foot out of joint, is confidence in a treacherous man in a time of distress.
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] he that taketh off his garment on a cold day, [as] vinegar is upon natron: so is he that singeth songs before an unhappy heart.
21 If he who is hating you hungers, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirsts, cause him to drink water.
If thy enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For you are putting coals on his head, And YHWH gives repayment to you.
For though thou gatherest coals of fire upon his head, yet will the Lord repay it unto thee.
23 A north wind brings forth rain, And a secret tongue—indignant faces.
The north wind bringeth forth rain: so doth secret talking, angry countenances.
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 the corner of a roof, than with a quarrelsome woman even in a roomy house.
25 [As] cold waters for a weary soul, So [is] a good report from a far country.
As cold water is to a fainting soul, so are good news from a far-off country.
26 A spring troubled, and a fountain corrupt, [Is] the righteous falling before the wicked.
Like a turbid spring and a corrupt fountain, is a righteous man that giveth way before the wicked.
27 The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one’s own honor—honor.
To eat too much honey is not good: so is it honor to set a limit to men's honor.
28 A city broken down without walls, [Is] a man without restraint over his spirit!
Like a city that is broken in, and is without walls: so is the man that hath no control over his spirit.
