Proverbs 25
1 These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
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].
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
[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.
3 As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
[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.
4 Take away the dross from the silver, and material comes out for the refiner.
[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.
5 Take away the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
[Similarly, if] wicked [advisors] are taken away from a king, his government will remain secure, because [the king will be able to] act justly.
6 Don’t exalt yourself in the presence of the king, or claim a place among great men;
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; )
7 for it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,” than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen.
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].
8 Don’t be hasty in bringing charges to court. What will you do in the end when your neighbor shames you?
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]
9 Debate your case with your neighbor, and don’t betray the confidence of another,
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].
10 lest one who hears it put you to shame, and your bad reputation never depart.
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).
11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
Something that is said that is [very] appropriate is [as delightful as seeing] [SIM] gold apples/ornaments in a silver bowl.
12 As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover to an obedient ear.
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.
13 As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to those who send him; for he refreshes the soul of his masters.
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.
14 As clouds and wind without rain, so is he who boasts of gifts deceptively.
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.
15 By patience a ruler is persuaded. A soft tongue breaks the bone.
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].
16 Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest you eat too much, and vomit it.
If you find some honey, do not eat a lot of it, because doing that may cause you to vomit.
17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house, lest he be weary of you, and hate you.
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.
18 A man who gives false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.
To falsely accuse others [in court] is like [SIM] [attacking them with] a war-club or a sword or a sharp arrow.
19 Confidence in someone unfaithful in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a lame foot.
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.
20 As one who takes away a garment in cold weather, or vinegar on soda, so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
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.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;
22 for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and Yahweh will reward you.
doing that will cause them to feel ashamed [IDM], and Yahweh will reward you for doing that.
23 The north wind produces rain; so a backbiting tongue brings an angry face.
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.
24 It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop than to share a house with a contentious woman.
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.
25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
Receiving good news from a country far away refreshes our spirits like [SIM] cold water refreshes us when we are very thirsty.
26 Like a muddied spring and a polluted well, so is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
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.
27 It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor.
It is not good to eat too much honey, and trying to get people to praise you is also not good.
28 Like a city that is broken down and without walls is a man whose spirit is without restraint.
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].
