< Proverbs 25 >

1 These are also proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed:
גַּם־אֵלֶּה מִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה אֲשֶׁר הֶעְתִּיקוּ אַנְשֵׁי ׀ חִזְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָֽה׃
2 The glory of God [is] to hide a thing, And the glory of kings [is] to search out a matter.
כְּבֹד אֱלֹהִים הַסְתֵּר דָּבָר וּכְבֹד מְלָכִים חֲקֹר דָּבָֽר׃
3 The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings—[are] unsearchable.
שָׁמַיִם לָרוּם וָאָרֶץ לָעֹמֶק וְלֵב מְלָכִים אֵין חֵֽקֶר׃
4 Take away dross from silver, And a vessel goes forth for the refiner,
הָגוֹ סִיגִים מִכָּסֶף וַיֵּצֵא לַצֹּרֵף כֶּֽלִי׃
5 Take away the wicked before a king, And his throne is established in righteousness.
הָגוֹ רָשָׁע לִפְנֵי־מֶלֶךְ וְיִכּוֹן בַּצֶּדֶק כִּסְאֽוֹ׃
6 Do not honor yourself before a king, And do not stand in the place of the great.
אַל־תִּתְהַדַּר לִפְנֵי־מֶלֶךְ וּבִמְקוֹם גְּדֹלִים אַֽל־תַּעֲמֹֽד׃
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.
כִּי טוֹב אֲמׇר־לְךָ עֲֽלֵה ־ הֵנָּה מֵהַשְׁפִּילְךָ לִפְנֵי נָדִיב אֲשֶׁר רָאוּ עֵינֶֽיךָ׃
8 Do not go forth to strive, hurry, turn, What do you do in its latter end, When your neighbor causes you to blush?
אַל־תֵּצֵא לָרִב מַהֵר פֶּן מַה־תַּעֲשֶׂה בְּאַחֲרִיתָהּ בְּהַכְלִים אֹתְךָ רֵעֶֽךָ׃
9 Plead your cause with your neighbor, And do not reveal the secret counsel of another,
רִיבְךָ רִיב אֶת־רֵעֶךָ וְסוֹד אַחֵר אַל־תְּגָֽל׃
10 Lest the hearer put you to shame, And your evil report not turn back.
פֶּֽן־יְחַסֶּדְךָ שֹׁמֵעַ וְדִבָּתְךָ לֹא תָשֽׁוּב׃
11 Apples of gold in imagery of silver, [Is] the word spoken at its fit times.
תַּפּוּחֵי זָהָב בְּמַשְׂכִּיּוֹת כָּסֶף דָּבָר דָּבֻר עַל־אׇפְנָֽיו׃
12 A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, [Is] the wise reprover to an attentive ear.
נֶזֶם זָהָב וַחֲלִי־כָתֶם מוֹכִיחַ חָכָם עַל־אֹזֶן שֹׁמָֽעַת׃
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.
כְּצִנַּת־שֶׁלֶג ׀ בְּיוֹם קָצִיר צִיר נֶאֱמָן לְשֹׁלְחָיו וְנֶפֶשׁ אֲדֹנָיו יָשִֽׁיב׃
14 Clouds and wind without rain, [Is] a man boasting himself in a false gift.
נְשִׂיאִים וְרוּחַ וְגֶשֶׁם אָיִן אִישׁ מִתְהַלֵּל בְּמַתַּת־שָֽׁקֶר׃
15 A ruler is persuaded by long-suffering, And a soft tongue breaks a bone.
בְּאֹרֶךְ אַפַּיִם יְפֻתֶּה קָצִין וְלָשׁוֹן רַכָּה תִּשְׁבׇּר־גָּֽרֶם׃
16 You have found honey—eat your sufficiency, Lest you are satiated [with] it, and have vomited it.
דְּבַשׁ מָצָאתָ אֱכֹל דַּיֶּךָּ פֶּן־תִּשְׂבָּעֶנּוּ וַהֲקֵאתֽוֹ׃
17 Withdraw your foot from your neighbor’s house, Lest he is satiated [with] you, and has hated you.
הֹקַר רַגְלְךָ מִבֵּית רֵעֶךָ פֶּן־יִשְׂבָּעֲךָ וּשְׂנֵאֶֽךָ׃
18 A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, [Is] the man testifying a false testimony against his neighbor.
מֵפִיץ וְחֶרֶב וְחֵץ שָׁנוּן אִישׁ עֹנֶה בְרֵעֵהוּ עֵד שָֽׁקֶר׃
19 A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, [Is] the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity.
שֵׁן רֹעָה וְרֶגֶל מוּעָדֶת מִבְטָח בּוֹגֵד בְּיוֹם צָרָֽה׃
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.
מַעֲדֶה־בֶּגֶד ׀ בְּיוֹם קָרָה חֹמֶץ עַל־נָתֶר וְשָׁר בַּשִּׁרִים עַל לֶב־רָֽע׃
21 If he who is hating you hungers, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirsts, cause him to drink water.
אִם־רָעֵב שֹׂנַאֲךָ הַאֲכִלֵהוּ לָחֶם וְאִם־צָמֵא הַשְׁקֵהוּ מָֽיִם׃
22 For you are putting coals on his head, And YHWH gives repayment to you.
כִּי גֶחָלִים אַתָּה חֹתֶה עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ וַיהֹוָה יְשַׁלֶּם־לָֽךְ׃
23 A north wind brings forth rain, And a secret tongue—indignant faces.
רוּחַ צָפוֹן תְּחוֹלֵֽל גָּשֶׁם וּפָנִים נִזְעָמִים לְשׁוֹן סָֽתֶר׃
24 Better to sit on a corner of a roof, Than [with] a woman of contentions, and a house of company.
טוֹב שֶׁבֶת עַל־פִּנַּת־גָּג מֵאֵשֶׁת (מדונים) [מִדְיָנִים] וּבֵית חָֽבֶר׃
25 [As] cold waters for a weary soul, So [is] a good report from a far country.
מַיִם קָרִים עַל־נֶפֶשׁ עֲיֵפָה וּשְׁמוּעָה טוֹבָה מֵאֶרֶץ מֶרְחָֽק׃
26 A spring troubled, and a fountain corrupt, [Is] the righteous falling before the wicked.
מַעְיָן נִרְפָּשׂ וּמָקוֹר מׇשְׁחָת צַדִּיק מָט לִפְנֵֽי־רָשָֽׁע׃
27 The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one’s own honor—honor.
אָכֹל דְּבַשׁ הַרְבּוֹת לֹא־טוֹב וְחֵקֶר כְּבֹדָם כָּבֽוֹד׃
28 A city broken down without walls, [Is] a man without restraint over his spirit!
עִיר פְּרוּצָה אֵין חוֹמָה אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר אֵין מַעְצָר לְרוּחֽוֹ׃

< Proverbs 25 >