25 These are more of Solomon's proverbs. [ a ] Hezekiah's men wrote them down when Hezekiah was king of Judah. [ b ]
2 God hides things because he is great. But great kings can explain things.
3 You can never know all the thoughts of a king. They go high above the sky and deep below the earth.
4 If you remove dirt from silver, a worker can use it to make a beautiful thing. 5 In the same way, you should keep wicked people away from the king. Then he will rule in a right way.
6 When you stand in front of the king, do not be proud. Do not stand where the important people stand. 7 Then it will be good if the king says to you, ‘Come and sit up here, near me.’ That would be better than if he sends you away while his officers watch.
8 If you see something bad happen, do not quickly go and tell a judge. Your neighbour may show that you are wrong. Then you will be ashamed. You will not know what to do.
9 If you argue with your neighbour, do not tell his secrets to other people. 10 If you do that, everyone will know about it. Then you will be ashamed for your whole life.
11 A wise word that you speak at the right time is a beautiful thing. It is like a gold apple on a silver plate. 12 When a wise person warns you, that is also a beautiful thing. It is like a gold ear-ring or a gold necklace.
13 When a faithful servant takes a message for his master, his master will have peace in his mind. It will keep him cool, like snow in the middle of summer.
14 Some people promise things, but they never do anything. Those people are like clouds and wind that do not bring any rain.
15 If you are patient, you may make a ruler change his mind. If you speak a quiet word, you can remove a difficult problem.
16 When you find honey, never eat more than you need. If you eat too much, you will become very sick.
17 Do not visit your neighbour's house too often. He may see you too much and he will start to hate you.
18 Some people may tell lies about their neighbour in court. Those people are like dangerous weapons, like sharp swords or arrows.
19 If you are in trouble and you trust someone who is not honest, it will not help you. He will be as useless as a bad tooth or a broken leg.
20 If you sing to a very sad man to make him happy, it only gives him more pain. It is like you are taking away his coat on a cold day, or you are putting vinegar on his wound.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat. If he is thirsty, give him some water to drink. 22 If you help him, he will become ashamed, and the Lord will bless you with good things.
23 When the wind blows from the north, it brings rain. In the same way, when somebody tells other people's secrets, it brings anger.
24 It is better to live on the roof of your house than to live with a wife who always argues.
25 If you receive good news from a far away country, it is like cool water when you are tired and thirsty.
26 If you put dirt in a well, its good water becomes bad. It is the same with a righteous person who agrees to do wicked things.
27 It is bad for you to eat too much honey. If you always want people to praise you, it is also bad for you.
28 Somebody who cannot control his anger is in danger. He is like a city that no longer has a strong wall round it.
25 These are some more wise sayings from Solomon. These proverbs were copied by servants of Hezekiah, the king of Judah.
2 We honor God for the things he keeps secret. But we honor kings for the things they can discover.
3 We cannot discover how high the sky is above us or how deep the earth is below. The same is true with the minds of kings. We cannot understand them.
4 Remove the worthless things from silver to make it pure, and a worker can make something beautiful. 5 Take the evil advisors away from a king, and goodness will make his kingdom strong.
6 Don’t brag about yourself before the king and pretend you are someone important. 7 It is much better for the king to invite you to take a more important position than to embarrass you in front of his officials.
8 Don’t be too quick to tell a judge about something you saw. You will be embarrassed if someone else proves you wrong.
9 If you want to tell your friends about your own problems, tell them. But don’t discuss what someone told you in private. 10 Whoever hears it will lose their respect for you and will never trust you again.
11 Saying the right thing at the right time is like a golden apple in a silver setting. 12 Wise advice to a listening ear is like gold earrings or fine jewelry.
13 To his master who sent him, a messenger who can be trusted is as refreshing as a drink of cold water on a hot summer day. [ a ]
14 People who promise to give gifts but never give them are like clouds and wind that bring no rain.
15 With patience, you can make anyone change their thinking, even a ruler. Gentle speech is very powerful.
16 Honey is good, but don’t eat too much of it, or you will be sick. 17 And don’t visit your neighbors’ homes too often, or they will begin to hate you.
18 A person who gives false testimony against a neighbor is as deadly as a club, a sword, or a very sharp arrow. 19 Never depend on a liar in times of trouble. It’s like chewing with a bad tooth or walking with a crippled foot.
20 Singing happy songs to a sad person is as foolish as taking a coat off on a cold day or mixing soda and vinegar.
21 If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. If they are thirsty, give them some water. 22 This will make them feel the burning pain of shame, [ b ] and the Lord will reward you for being good to them.
23 Just as wind blowing from the north brings rain, telling secrets brings anger.
24 It is better to live in a small corner of the roof than to share the house with a woman who is always arguing.
25 Good news from a faraway place is like a cool drink of water when you are hot and thirsty.
26 Good people who don’t stand strong against evil are like springs that have been polluted or pools that have turned dirty and muddy.
27 Just as eating too much honey is not good, it is not good for people to always be looking for honor.
28 People who cannot control themselves are like cities without walls to protect them.
25 These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
3 The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.
5 Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
6 Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men:
7 For better it is 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.
8 Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.
9 Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:
10 Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.
11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
12 As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
13 As 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 Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.
15 By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.
16 Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
17 Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.
18 A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.
20 As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.
21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
22 For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.
23 The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
24 It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.
25 As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
26 A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.
27 It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.
28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
25 These also are ( A ) proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.
2 It is the glory of God to ( B ) conceal a matter,
But the glory of ( C ) kings is to search out a matter.
3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the [ a ] ( D ) impurities from the silver,
And there comes out a vessel for the ( E ) smith;
5 Take away the ( F ) wicked before the king,
And his ( G ) throne will be established in righteousness.
6 Do not boast in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the same place [ b ] as great people;
7 For ( H ) it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.
8 Do not go out ( I ) hastily to [ c ] argue your case ;
[ d ] Otherwise, what will you do in [ e ] the end,
When your neighbor humiliates you?
9 [ f ] ( J ) Argue your case with your neighbor,
And ( K ) do not reveal the secret of another,
10 Or one who hears it will put you to shame,
And the evil report about you will not [ g ] pass away.
11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver,
Is a ( L ) word spoken at [ h ] the proper time.
12 Like [ i ] an ( M ) earring of gold and a ( N ) jewelry piece of ( O ) fine gold,
Is a wise person who offers rebukes to a ( P ) listening ear.
13 Like the cold of snow in the [ j ] time of harvest
Is a ( Q ) faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 Like ( R ) clouds and ( S ) wind without rain
Is a person who boasts [ k ] of his gifts falsely.
15 Through [ l ] ( T ) patience a ruler may be persuaded,
And a gentle tongue breaks bone.
16 Have you ( U ) found honey? Eat only [ m ] what you need,
So that you do not have it in excess and vomit it.
17 Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house,
Or he will become [ n ] weary of you and hate you.
18 Like a club, a ( V ) sword, and a sharp ( W ) arrow
Is a person who gives ( X ) false testimony against his neighbor.
19 Like a bad tooth and [ o ] an unsteady foot
Is confidence in a ( Y ) treacherous person in time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on [ p ] soda,
Is one who sings songs to [ q ] a troubled heart.
21 ( Z ) If [ r ] your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For you will [ s ] heap burning coals on his head,
And ( AA ) the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings rain,
And a [ t ] ( AB ) gossiping tongue brings an angry face.
24 It is ( AC ) better to live on a corner of the roof,
Than [ u ] in a house shared with a contentious woman.
25 Like cold water to a weary soul,
So is ( AD ) good news from a distant land.
26 Like a ( AE ) trampled spring and a [ v ] polluted well,
So is a righteous person who gives way before the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat much honey,
Nor is it glory to ( AF ) search out [ w ] one’s own glory.
28 Like a ( AG ) city that is broken into and without walls
So is a person ( AH ) who has no self-control over his spirit.
25 These are more proverbs ( A ) of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah: ( B )
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings. ( C )
3 As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
4 Remove the dross from the silver,
and a silversmith can produce a vessel;
5 remove wicked officials from the king’s presence, ( D )
and his throne will be established ( E ) through righteousness. ( F )
6 Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
and do not claim a place among his great men;
7 it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,” ( G )
than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.
What you have seen with your eyes
8 do not bring [ a ] hastily to court,
for what will you do in the end
if your neighbor puts you to shame? ( H )
9 If you take your neighbor to court,
do not betray another’s confidence,
10 or the one who hears it may shame you
and the charge against you will stand.
11 Like apples [ b ] of gold in settings of silver ( I )
is a ruling rightly given.
12 Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear. ( J )
13 Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time
is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him;
he refreshes the spirit of his master. ( K )
14 Like clouds and wind without rain
is one who boasts of gifts never given.
16 If you find honey, eat just enough—
too much of it, and you will vomit. ( N )
17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—
too much of you, and they will hate you.
18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor. ( O )
19 Like a broken tooth or a lame foot
is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
or like vinegar poured on a wound,
is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals ( P ) on his head,
and the Lord will reward you. ( Q )
23 Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain
is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.
24 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. ( R )
25 Like cold water to a weary soul
is good news from a distant land. ( S )
26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
are the righteous who give way to the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat too much honey, ( T )
nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep. ( U )
28 Like a city whose walls are broken through
is a person who lacks self-control.
