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 also, are proverbs of Solomon, —which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed.
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.
The glory of God, is to conceal a thing, but, the glory of kings, is to search out a thing.
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.
The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, but, the heart 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 there cometh forth, to the refiner, a vessel:
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 a lawless man from before the king, that his throne, may 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 honour thyself before a king, nor, in the place of great men, do thou stand;
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 better it be said to thee, Come up hither, —than that thou be put lower down before a noble, whom thine own eyes, have beheld.
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 go forth to strive in haste, —lest [thou know not] what to do in the latter end thereof, when thy neighbour, hath put thee 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].
Thy contention, urge thou with thy neighbour, and, the secret of another, do not reveal:
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 he that heareth expose thee, and, the report concerning thee, turn not away.
11 Something that is said that is [very] appropriate is [as delightful as seeing] [SIM] gold apples/ornaments in a silver bowl.
Golden fruit in figured silver baskets, is a word spoken on fitting occasion.
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.
A ring of gold, and a vessel of precious metal, is a wise reprover, on a hearing 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.
As the cold of snow in the day of harvest, is a faithful messenger to them who send him, —when, the life of his masters, he restoreth.
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.
Clouds and wind, when rain there is none, is the man who boasteth himself of a pretended gift.
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].
By long patience, is a judge persuaded, and, a soft tongue, breaketh the bone.
16 If you find some honey, do not eat a lot of it, because doing that may cause you to vomit.
Honey having found, eat to suffice thee, lest thou loathe it, and vomit it forth.
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.
Withhold thy foot from the house of thy neighbour, —lest he be weary of thee, and hate thee.
18 To falsely accuse others [in court] is like [SIM] [attacking them with] a war-club or a sword or a sharp arrow.
A hammer and a sword, and a sharpened arrow, is a man becoming a false witness against his neighbour.
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.
A broken tooth and a faltering foot, is confidence in the treacherous, in the day of danger.
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.
As splendour of dress on a cold day—vinegar upon nitre, so is a singer with songs, unto a sad heart.
21 If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;
If he that hateth thee hunger, give him bread to eat, and, if he be 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, burning coals, shalt thou be heaping upon his head, —and, Yahweh, will repay thee.
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.
A north wind, bringeth forth rain, and, a face stirred with indignation, a secretive tongue.
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 dwell on the corner of the roof, than a quarrelsome wife, and a house in common.
25 Receiving good news from a country far away refreshes our spirits like [SIM] cold water refreshes us when we are very thirsty.
As cold water to a thirsty soul, so is a good report from a far country.
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.
A fountain fouled, a spring spoiled, is a righteous man tottering before one who is lawless.
27 It is not good to eat too much honey, and trying to get people to praise you is also not good.
To eat honey in abundance, is not good, nor is, searching out their own honour, an honourable thing.
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].
A city broken down without a wall, is a man who hath no control over his own spirit.
