Proverbs 25
25
Further Wise Sayings of Solomon
The Right Word at the Right Time
1There are also these proverbs of Solomon,
collected by scribes of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
2God delights in concealing things;
scientists delight in discovering things.
3Like the horizons for breadth and the ocean for depth,
the understanding of a good leader is broad and deep.
4-5Remove impurities from the silver
and the silversmith can craft a fine chalice;
Remove the wicked from leadership
and authority will be credible and God-honoring.
6-7Don’t work yourself into the spotlight;
don’t push your way into the place of prominence.
It’s better to be promoted to a place of honor
than face humiliation by being demoted.
8Don’t jump to conclusions—there may be
a perfectly good explanation for what you just saw.
9-10In the heat of an argument,
don’t betray confidences;
Word is sure to get around,
and no one will trust you.
11-12The right word at the right time
is like a custom-made piece of jewelry,
And a wise friend’s timely reprimand
is like a gold ring slipped on your finger.
13Reliable friends who do what they say
are like cool drinks in sweltering heat—refreshing!
14Like billowing clouds that bring no rain
is the person who talks big but never produces.
15Patient persistence pierces through indifference;
gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses.
A Person Without Self-Control
16-17When you’re given a box of candy, don’t gulp it all down;
eat too much chocolate and you’ll make yourself sick;
And when you find a friend, don’t outwear your welcome;
show up at all hours and he’ll soon get fed up.
18Anyone who tells lies against the neighbors
in court or on the street is a loose cannon.
19Trusting a double-crosser when you’re in trouble
is like biting down on an abscessed tooth.
20Singing light songs to the heavyhearted
is like pouring salt in their wounds.
21-22If you see your enemy hungry, go buy him lunch;
if he’s thirsty, bring him a drink.
Your generosity will surprise him with goodness,
and God will look after you.
23A north wind brings stormy weather,
and a gossipy tongue stormy looks.
24Better to live alone in a tumbledown shack
than share a mansion with a nagging spouse.
25Like a cool drink of water when you’re worn out and weary
is a letter from a long-lost friend.
26A good person who gives in to a bad person
is a muddied spring, a polluted well.
27It’s not smart to stuff yourself with sweets,
nor is glory piled on glory good for you.
28A person without self-control
is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out.
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Proverbs 25: MSG
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Proverbs 25
25
Hezekiah’s Collection
1These too are proverbs of Solomon,#Pr 1:1
which the men of King Hezekiah#2Kg 18–20 of Judah copied.
2It is the glory of God to conceal a matter#Dt 29:29; Rm 11:33
and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.
3As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated.
4Remove impurities from silver,#Ezk 22:18; Mal 3:2–3
and material will be produced#25:4 Lit will come out; Ex 32:24 for a silversmith.#25:4 Or and a vessel will be produced by a silversmith#2Tm 2:21
5Remove the wicked from the king’s presence,#Pr 20:8,26
and his throne will be established in righteousness.#Pr 16:12
6Don’t boast about yourself before the king,
and don’t stand in the place of the great;
7for it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here!”
than to demote you in plain view of a noble.#25:7 Lit you before a noble whom your eyes see#Lk 14:7–11
8Don’t take a matter to court hastily.#Pr 17:14; Mt 5:25; 1Co 6:7
Otherwise, what will you do afterward
if your opponent#25:8 Or neighbor, also in v. 9 humiliates you?
9Make your case with your opponent
without revealing another’s secret;#Pr 17:9; Mt 18:15
10otherwise, the one who hears will disgrace you,
and you’ll never live it down.#25:10 Lit and your evil report will not turn back
11A word spoken at the right time
is like gold apples in silver settings.#Pr 8:10; 15:23; 16:16
12A wise correction to a receptive ear#Pr 15:31
is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.
13To those who send him, a trustworthy envoy
is like the coolness of snow on a harvest day;
he refreshes the life of his masters.#Pr 13:17; 16:24; 25:25
14The one who boasts about a gift that does not exist
is like clouds and wind without rain.#Jd 12
15A ruler can be persuaded through patience,
and a gentle tongue can break a bone.#Pr 15:1; 16:14,32; Ec 10:4
16If you find honey,#Jdg 14:8; 1Sm 14:25 eat only what you need;
otherwise, you’ll get sick from it and vomit.#Pr 25:27
17Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house;
otherwise, he’ll get sick of you and hate you.
18A person giving false testimony against his neighbor#Ex 20:16; Pr 24:28
is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.#Ps 57:4; Pr 12:18
19Trusting an unreliable person in a difficult time
is like a rotten tooth or a faltering foot.#2Kg 18:21
20Singing songs to a troubled heart
is like taking off clothing on a cold day
or like pouring vinegar on soda.#25:20 Lit natron, or sodium carbonate#Rm 12:15
21If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,#Ex 23:4–5; 2Kg 6:22; 2Ch 28:15; Mt 5:44; Rm 12:20
22for you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.#Mt 6:4
23The north wind produces rain,
and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.
24Better to live on the corner of a roof
than to share a house with a nagging wife.#Pr 15:17; 17:1; 21:9,19
25Good news from a distant land
is like cold water to a parched throat.#25:25 Or a weary person#Pr 15:30
26A righteous person who yields to the wicked#Dt 13:6–8; Gl 2:4–5
is like a muddied spring or a polluted well.#Ezk 32:2; 34:18–19
27It is not good to eat too much honey#Pr 25:16
or to seek glory after glory.#25:27 Lit seek their glory, glory#Pr 27:2
28A person who does not control his temper#Pr 16:32; 29:11
is like a city whose wall is broken down.#Neh 1:3
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