< Proverbs 25 >

1 These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, collected.
גַּם־אֵלֶּה מִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה אֲשֶׁר הֶעְתִּיקוּ אַנְשֵׁי ׀ חִזְקִיָּה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָֽה׃
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But it is the glory of kings to search out a matter.
כְּבֹד אֱלֹהִים הַסְתֵּר דָּבָר וּכְבֹד מְלָכִים חֲקֹר דָּבָֽר׃
3 As the heavens for their height, And as the earth for its depth, So is the heart of kings unsearchable!
שָׁמַיִם לָרוּם וָאָרֶץ לָעֹמֶק וְלֵב מְלָכִים אֵין חֵֽקֶר׃
4 Take away the dross from the silver, And there will come forth a vessel for the founder;
הָגוֹ סִיגִים מִכָּסֶף וַיֵּצֵא לַצֹּרֵף כֶּֽלִי׃
5 Take away the wicked man from the presence of the king, And his throne will be established by righteousness.
הָגוֹ רָשָׁע לִפְנֵי־מֶלֶךְ וְיִכּוֹן בַּצֶּדֶק כִּסְאֽוֹ׃
6 Put not thyself forth in the presence of the king, Nor set thyself in the place of the great;
אַל־תִּתְהַדַּר לִפְנֵי־מֶלֶךְ וּבִמְקוֹם גְּדֹלִים אַֽל־תַּעֲמֹֽד׃
7 For better is it that one should say to thee, “Come up hither!” Than that he should put thee in a lower place, In the presence of the prince whom thine eyes behold.
כִּי טוֹב אֲמָר־לְךָ עֲ‍ֽלֵה הֵנָּה מֵֽהַשְׁפִּילְךָ לִפְנֵי נָדִיב אֲשֶׁר רָאוּ עֵינֶֽיךָ׃
8 Go not forth hastily to engage in a suit, Lest thou know not what to do in the end of it, When thine adversary hath put thee to shame.
אַל־תֵּצֵא לָרִב מַהֵר פֶּן מַה־תַּעֲשֶׂה בְּאַחֲרִיתָהּ בְּהַכְלִים אֹתְךָ רֵעֶֽךָ׃
9 Maintain thy cause with thine adversary, But reveal not another's secret;
רִֽיבְךָ רִיב אֶת־רֵעֶךָ וְסוֹד אַחֵר אַל־תְּגָֽל׃
10 Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, And thy infamy depart not from thee.
פֶּֽן־יְחַסֶּדְךָ שֹׁמֵעַ וְדִבָּתְךָ לֹא תָשֽׁוּב׃
11 A word spoken in season Is like apples of gold in figured-work of silver.
תַּפּוּחֵי זָהָב בְּמַשְׂכִּיּוֹת כָּסֶף דָּבָר דָּבֻר עַל־אָפְנָֽיו׃
12 As a ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, So is a wise reprover to an attentive ear.
נֶזֶם זָהָב וַחֲלִי־כָתֶם מוֹכִיחַ חָכָם עַל־אֹזֶן שֹׁמָֽעַת׃
13 As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, So is a faithful messenger to them that send him; For he refresheth the spirit of his masters.
כְּצִנַּת־שֶׁלֶג ׀ בְּיוֹם קָצִיר צִיר נֶאֱמָן לְשֹׁלְחָיו וְנֶפֶשׁ אֲדֹנָיו יָשִֽׁיב׃
14 As clouds and wind without rain, So is the man that boasteth falsely of giving.
נְשִׂיאִים וְרוּחַ וְגֶשֶׁם אָיִן אִישׁ מִתְהַלֵּל בְּמַתַּת־שָֽׁקֶר׃
15 By long forbearing is a prince appeased; And a soft tongue breaketh bones.
בְּאֹרֶךְ אַפַּיִם יְפֻתֶּה קָצִין וְלָשׁוֹן רַכָּה תִּשְׁבָּר־גָּֽרֶם׃
16 Hast thou found honey? eat what is sufficient for thee, Lest thou be surfeited with it, and vomit it up.
דְּבַשׁ מָצָאתָ אֱכֹל דַּיֶּךָּ פֶּן־תִּשְׂבָּעֶנּוּ וַהֲקֵֽאתֽוֹ׃
17 Let thy foot be seldom in the house of thy friend, Lest he be surfeited with thee and hate thee.
הֹקַר רַגְלְךָ מִבֵּית רֵעֶךָ פֶּן־יִשְׂבָּעֲךָ וּשְׂנֵאֶֽךָ׃
18 A battle-hammer, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, Is the man who beareth false witness against his neighbor.
מֵפִיץ וְחֶרֶב וְחֵץ שָׁנוּן אִישׁ עֹנֶה בְרֵעֵהוּ עֵד שָֽׁקֶר׃
19 As a broken tooth, and a wavering foot, So is trust in an unfaithful man in time of trouble.
שֵׁן רֹעָה וְרֶגֶל מוּעָדֶת מִבְטָח בּוֹגֵד בְּיוֹם צָרֽ͏ָה׃
20 As he that taketh off a garment on a cold day, As vinegar upon nitre, So is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart.
מַעֲדֶה בֶּגֶד ׀ בְּיוֹם קָרָה חֹמֶץ עַל־נָתֶר וְשָׁר בַּשִּׁרִים עַל לֶב־רָֽע׃
21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink;
אִם־רָעֵב שֹׂנַאֲךָ הַאֲכִלֵהוּ לָחֶם וְאִם־צָמֵא הַשְׁקֵהוּ מָֽיִם׃
22 For thou wilt heap coals of fire upon his head, And the LORD will reward thee.
כִּי גֶֽחָלִים אַתָּה חֹתֶה עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ וֽ͏ַיהוָה יְשַׁלֶּם־לָֽךְ׃
23 As the north wind bringeth forth rain, So a backbiting tongue maketh an angry countenance.
רוּחַ צָפוֹן תְּחוֹלֵֽל גָּשֶׁם וּפָנִים נִזְעָמִים לְשׁוֹן סָֽתֶר׃
24 Better is it to dwell in a corner of the housetop, Than with a quarrelsome woman in a large house.
טוֹב שֶׁבֶת עַל־פִּנַּת־גָּג מֵאֵשֶׁת מדונים מִדְיָנִים וּבֵית חָֽבֶר׃
25 As cold water to the thirsty, So is good news from a far country.
מַיִם קָרִים עַל־נֶפֶשׁ עֲיֵפָה וּשְׁמוּעָה טוֹבָה מֵאֶרֶץ מֶרְחָֽק׃
26 As a troubled fountain, and as a corrupted spring, So is a righteous man falling before the wicked.
מַעְיָן נִרְפָּשׂ וּמָקוֹר מָשְׁחָת צַדִּיק מָט לִפְנֵֽי־רָשָֽׁע׃
27 To eat much honey is not good; So the search of high things is weariness.
אָכֹל דְּבַשׁ הַרְבּוֹת לֹא־טוֹב וְחֵקֶר כְּבֹדָם כָּבֽוֹד׃
28 As a city broken through and without a wall, So is he that hath no rule over his spirit.
עִיר פְּרוּצָה אֵין חוֹמָה אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר אֵין מַעְצָר לְרוּחֽוֹ׃

< Proverbs 25 >