Proverbs 25
25
1These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out
2It is the glory of God to conceal a thing:
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
3The heaven for height, and the earth for depth,
And the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4Take away the dross from the silver,
And there cometh forth a vessel for the finer:
5Take away the wicked from before the king,
And his throne shall be established in righteousness.
6Put not thyself forward in the presence of the king,
And stand not in the place of great men:
7For better is it that it be said unto thee, Come up hither;
Than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom thine eyes have seen.
8Go not forth hastily to strive,
Lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof,
When thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.
9Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself,
And disclose not the secret of another:
10Lest he that heareth it revile thee,
And thine infamy turn not away.
11A word fitly spoken
Is like apples of gold in baskets of silver.
12 As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold,
So is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
13As the cold of snow in the time of harvest,
So is a faithful messenger to them that send him;
For he refresheth the soul of his masters.
14 As clouds and wind without rain,
So is he that boasteth himself of his gifts falsely.
15By long forbearing is a ruler persuaded,
And a soft tongue breaketh the bone.
16Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee;
Lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
17Let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbour's house;
Lest he be weary of thee, and hate thee.
18A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour
Is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
19Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble
Is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.
20 As one that taketh off a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre,
So is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.
21If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
22For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head,
And the LORD shall reward thee.
23The north wind bringeth forth rain:
So doth a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.
24It is better to dwell in the comer of the housetop,
Than with a contentious woman in a wide house.
25 As cold waters to a thirsty soul,
So is good news from a far country.
26 As a troubled fountain, and a corrupted spring,
So is a righteous man that giveth way before the wicked.
27It is not good to eat much honey:
So for men to search out their own glory is not glory.
28He whose spirit is without restraint
Is like a city that is broken down and hath no wall.
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maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
Proverbs 25
25
1These also are Solomon’s proverbs that were copied by the men of King Hezekiah of Judah.
Advice for Kings
2It is the glory of God to hide things
but the glory of kings to investigate them.
3 ⌞Like⌟ the high heavens and the deep earth,
so the mind of kings is unsearchable.
4Take the impurities out of silver,
and a vessel is ready for the silversmith to mold.
5Take a wicked person away from the presence of a king,
and justice will make his throne secure.
6Do not brag about yourself in front of a king
or stand in the spot that belongs to notable people,
7because it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
than to be put down in front of a prince
whom your eyes have seen.
8Do not be in a hurry to go to court.
What will you do in the end if your neighbor disgraces you?
9Present your argument to your neighbor,
but do not reveal another person’s secret.
10Otherwise, when he hears about it, he will humiliate you,
and his evil report about you will never disappear.
11 ⌞Like⌟ golden apples in silver settings,
⌞so⌟ is a word spoken at the right time.
12 ⌞Like⌟ a gold ring and a fine gold ornament,
⌞so⌟ is constructive criticism to the ear of one who listens.
13Like the coolness of snow on a harvest day,
⌞so⌟ is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him:
He refreshes his masters.
14 ⌞Like⌟ a dense fog or a dust storm,
⌞so⌟ is a person who brags about a gift that he does not give.
15With patience you can persuade a ruler,
and a soft tongue can break bones.
16When you find honey, eat only as much as you need.
Otherwise, you will have too much and vomit.
17Do not set foot in your neighbor’s house too often.
Otherwise, he will see too much of you and hate you.
18 ⌞Like⌟ a club and a sword and a sharp arrow,
⌞so⌟ is a person who gives false testimony against his neighbor.
19 ⌞Like⌟ a broken tooth and a lame foot,
⌞so⌟ is confidence in an unfaithful person in a ⌞time of⌟ crisis.
20 ⌞Like⌟ taking off a coat on a cold day
or pouring vinegar on baking soda,
so is singing songs to one who has an evil heart.
21If your enemy is hungry, give him some food to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him some water to drink.
22 ⌞In this way⌟ you will make him feel guilty and ashamed,
and the Lord will reward you.
23 ⌞As⌟ the north wind brings rain,
so a whispering tongue brings angry looks.
24Better to live on a corner of a roof
than to share a home with a quarreling woman.
25 ⌞Like⌟ cold water to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from far away.
26 ⌞Like⌟ a muddied spring and a polluted well,
⌞so⌟ is a righteous person who gives in to a wicked person.
27Eating too much honey is not good,
and searching for honor is not honorable.
28 ⌞Like⌟ a city broken into ⌞and⌟ left without a wall,
⌞so⌟ is a person who lacks self-control.
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