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 מֶֽלֶךְ־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 אֲמָר־לְךָ עֲֽלֵה הֵנָּה מֵֽהַשְׁפִּילְךָ 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,
| רִֽיבְךָ 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־אָפְנָֽיו׃ |
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 תִּשְׁבָּר־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 וַהֲקֵֽאתֽוֹ׃ |
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 צָרֽ͏ָה׃ |
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 גֶֽחָלִים אַתָּה חֹתֶה עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ וֽ͏ַיהוָה 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 מָשְׁחָת 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׃ |
