Proverbs 25
1 Also these are Proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed: —
These are additional proverbs of Solomon, which were copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:
2 The honour of God [is] to hide a thing, And the honour of kings to search out a matter.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to search it out.
3 The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings — [are] unsearchable.
As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be searched.
4 Take away dross from silver, And a vessel for the refiner goeth forth,
Remove the dross from the silver, and a vessel for a silversmith will come forth.
5 Take away the wicked before a king, And established in righteousness is his throne.
Remove the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
6 Honour not thyself before a king, And in the place of the great stand not.
Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the place of great men;
7 For better [that] he hath said to thee, 'Come thou up hither,' Than [that] he humble thee before a noble, Whom thine eyes have seen.
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 Go not forth to strive, haste, turn, What dost thou in its latter end, When thy neighbour causeth thee to blush?
do not bring hastily to court. Otherwise, what will you do in the end when your neighbor puts you to shame?
9 Thy cause plead with thy neighbour, And the secret counsel of another reveal not,
Argue your case with your neighbor without betraying another’s confidence,
10 Lest the hearer put thee to shame, And thine evil report turn not back.
lest the one who hears may disgrace you, and your infamy never go away.
11 Apples of gold in imagery of silver, [Is] the word spoken at its fit times.
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
12 A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, [Is] the wise reprover to an attentive ear.
Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.
13 As a vessel of snow in a day of harvest, [So is] a faithful ambassador to those sending him, And the soul of his masters he refresheth.
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 Clouds and wind, and rain there is none, [Is] a man boasting himself in a false gift.
Like clouds and wind without rain is the man who boasts of gifts never given.
15 By long-suffering is a ruler persuaded, And a soft tongue breaketh a bone.
Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
16 Honey thou hast found — eat thy sufficiency, Lest thou be satiated [with] it, and hast vomited it.
If you find honey, eat just what you need, lest you have too much and vomit it up.
17 Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house, Lest he be satiated [with] thee, and have hated thee.
Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house, lest he grow weary and hate you.
18 A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, [Is] the man testifying against his neighbour a false testimony.
Like a club or sword or sharp arrow is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.
19 A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, [Is] the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity.
Like a broken tooth or a foot out of joint is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble.
20 Whoso is taking away a garment in a cold day, [Is as] vinegar on nitre, And a singer of songs on a sad heart.
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 he who is hating thee doth hunger, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirst, cause him to drink water.
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22 For coals thou art putting on his head, And Jehovah giveth recompense to thee.
For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.
23 A north wind bringeth forth rain, And a secret tongue — indignant faces.
As the north wind brings forth rain, so a backbiting tongue brings angry looks.
24 Better to sit on a corner of a roof, Than [with] a woman of contentions, and a house of company.
Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
25 [As] cold waters for a weary soul, So [is] a good report from a far country.
Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.
26 A spring troubled, and a fountain corrupt, [Is] the righteous falling before the wicked.
Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.
27 The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one's own honour — honour.
It is not good to eat too much honey or to search out one’s own glory.
28 A city broken down without walls, [Is] a man without restraint over his spirit!
Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who does not control his temper.
