Proverbs 25
1 Here are more wise sayings/words that Solomon [wrote]. Some men who worked for Hezekiah, the king of Judah, copied them [from a scroll that Solomon had written].
These are additional proverbs of Solomon, which were copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:
2 [We consider] God to be great because he (acts in mysterious ways/does things that we cannot understand); [we consider] kings to be great because they explain things.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to search it out.
3 [It is not possible for anyone to measure] how high the sky is or how deep the earth/ocean is; likewise [SIM], it is not possible for us to know [all] that kings are thinking.
As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be searched.
4 [If workers] burn out the impure bits that are in silver, a man who makes things from silver can make something beautiful from the silver.
Remove the dross from the silver, and a vessel for a silversmith will come forth.
5 [Similarly, if] wicked [advisors] are taken away from a king, his government will remain secure, because [the king will be able to] act justly.
Remove the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
6 When you stand in front of a king, do not try to (impress him/honor yourself) and do not (act like you are important/ask to sit where important people sit; )
Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the place of great men;
7 it is better if someone tells you to sit closer [to the king] than for [someone to tell you], while the king is listening, to sit further away in order that someone who is more important [may sit closer to the king].
for it is better that he says to you, “Come up here!” than that you should be demoted in the presence of the prince. Even what you have seen with your own eyes,
8 Do not quickly go to a court [to tell the judge about] something that you have seen, because another witness may later [say something that proves that you are wrong, and as a result] you will be disgraced/ashamed. If that happens, (what will you do?/you will not know what to do.) [RHQ]
do not bring hastily to court. Otherwise, what will you do in the end when your neighbor puts you to shame?
9 If you and someone else think differently about some matter, settle it between yourselves, and do not tell others any secret [that he has told you].
Argue your case with your neighbor without betraying another’s confidence,
10 If others find out that you have told secrets, you will be ashamed, and from that time on, (you will have a bad reputation/people will think badly about you).
lest the one who hears may disgrace you, and your infamy never go away.
11 Something that is said that is [very] appropriate is [as delightful as seeing] [SIM] gold apples/ornaments in a silver bowl.
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
12 When a wise person rebukes/warns someone [SYN] who is willing to listen, that is [as valuable as] [SIM] a gold ring or a gold chain.
Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.
13 A messenger who (is reliable/tells someone else exactly what he was told to say) refreshes [the spirits of] his bosses who sent him like [SIM] (snow/cold water) refreshes [the ground] at the time that [people] harvest crops.
Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 When someone promises to give a gift to us but never gives it, [that disappoints us] as much as [SIM] clouds and wind that come but do not bring any rain.
Like clouds and wind without rain is the man who boasts of gifts never given.
15 If someone keeps requesting a ruler long enough to do something, he will [often] agree to do it; similarly, by speaking [MTY] gently we can [often] convince [others that what we say is right] [IDM].
Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
16 If you find some honey, do not eat a lot of it, because doing that may cause you to vomit.
If you find honey, eat just what you need, lest you have too much and vomit it up.
17 Do not go to your neighbor’s house very often [to talk with him]; if you go [very] often, he will get tired of listening to you and start to hate you.
Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house, lest he grow weary and hate you.
18 To falsely accuse others [in court] is like [SIM] [attacking them with] a war-club or a sword or a sharp arrow.
Like a club or sword or sharp arrow is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.
19 Depending on unreliable people when you have troubles is [as bad] as [trying to eat when] you have a bad/hurting tooth or [trying to walk when] your foot is crippled.
Like a broken tooth or a foot out of joint is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble.
20 Singing to someone who is depressed [just causes him to feel worse]; it is like [SIM] taking off clothes on a very cold day or like putting vinegar on a wound.
Like one who removes a garment on a cold day or vinegar poured on a wound is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
21 If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22 doing that will cause them to feel ashamed [IDM], and Yahweh will reward you for doing that.
For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.
23 When wind blows from the right direction, it will rain; [similarly] [SIM], if we gossip about others, that causes them to look at us very angrily.
As the north wind brings forth rain, so a backbiting tongue brings angry looks.
24 It is better to live ([alone/by yourself]) in the corner of an attic/housetop than to live inside the house with a wife who is [always] nagging.
Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
25 Receiving good news from a country far away refreshes our spirits like [SIM] cold water refreshes us when we are very thirsty.
Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.
26 When a righteous/good person (gives in/yields) to wicked [people], that is [as bad] as [SIM] a spring that becomes muddied or a fountain that becomes polluted.
Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat too much honey, and trying to get people to praise you is also not good.
It is not good to eat too much honey or to search out one’s own glory.
28 People who (cannot control their tempers/quickly become very angry) [are unable to defend their behavior]; that is like [having] a city without a wall around it, [with the result that no one can defend it].
Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who does not control his temper.
