Proverbs 25
1 Also these are Proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed: —
These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the scribes 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.
God's greatness is in doing things that can't be known, while the greatness of kings is in revealing things.
3 The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings — [are] unsearchable.
Just as the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth can't be known, the king's thinking can't be known.
4 Take away dross from silver, And a vessel for the refiner goeth forth,
Remove the waste from the silver, and the silversmith has pure silver to work with.
5 Take away the wicked before a king, And established in righteousness is his throne.
Remove the wicked from the king's presence and the king will rule securely and justly.
6 Honour not thyself before a king, And in the place of the great stand not.
Don't try to make yourself look great before the king, and don't pretend to be among the important people,
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's better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be humiliated before a nobleman. Even though you've seen something 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?
don't rush to take legal action, for what are you going to do in the end when your neighbor shows you're wrong and humiliates you?
9 Thy cause plead with thy neighbour, And the secret counsel of another reveal not,
Discuss the case with your neighbor himself, and don't betray someone else's secret,
10 Lest the hearer put thee to shame, And thine evil report turn not back.
otherwise whoever hears it will make you ashamed and you'll never lose your bad reputation.
11 Apples of gold in imagery of silver, [Is] the word spoken at its fit times.
Advice given at the right time is like golden apples set in silver.
12 A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, [Is] the wise reprover to an attentive ear.
Constructive criticism from the wise to someone who listens is like a gold ring and a necklace of fine gold.
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.
Faithful messengers are as refreshing to their master as cold snow on a hot harvest day.
14 Clouds and wind, and rain there is none, [Is] a man boasting himself in a false gift.
Someone who boasts about a gift they never give is like cloud and wind without rain.
15 By long-suffering is a ruler persuaded, And a soft tongue breaketh a bone.
If you're patient you can persuade your superior, and soft words can break down opposition.
16 Honey thou hast found — eat thy sufficiency, Lest thou be satiated [with] it, and hast vomited it.
If you find honey, eat just enough, for if you eat too much, you'll be sick.
17 Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house, Lest he be satiated [with] thee, and have hated thee.
Don't set foot in your neighbors' homes too often, otherwise they'll get fed up with you and hate you.
18 A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, [Is] the man testifying against his neighbour a false testimony.
Telling lies in court against a friend is like attacking them with a mace, or a sword, or an arrow.
19 A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, [Is] the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity.
Trusting in unreliable people in times of trouble is like eating with a broken tooth or walking on a bad foot.
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.
Singing happy songs to someone who's broken-hearted is like taking off your coat on a cold day, or pouring vinegar onto an open wound.
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 something to eat; if he's thirsty, give him a drink of water.
22 For coals thou art putting on his head, And Jehovah giveth recompense to thee.
This will make him ashamed as if he had burning coals piled on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
23 A north wind bringeth forth rain, And a secret tongue — indignant faces.
In the same way that the north wind brings rain, slandering people makes them angry.
24 Better to sit on a corner of a roof, Than [with] a woman of contentions, and a house of company.
It's better to live in a corner of a housetop than to share a whole house with an argumentative wife.
25 [As] cold waters for a weary soul, So [is] a good report from a far country.
Good news from a distant country is like cold water to an exhausted traveler.
26 A spring troubled, and a fountain corrupt, [Is] the righteous falling before the wicked.
Good people who give in to the wicked are like a muddied spring or a polluted well.
27 The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one's own honour — honour.
It's not good to eat too much honey, or to want too much praise.
28 A city broken down without walls, [Is] a man without restraint over his spirit!
Someone without control is as exposed as a town whose walls have been breached.
