Proverbs 25–26

25These 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.

³As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth,

So the heart of kings is unsearchable.

⁴Take away the dross from the silver,

And there cometh forth a vessel for the refiner:

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 neighbor hath put thee to shame.

⁹Debate thy cause with thy neighbor 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 network of silver.

¹²As an ear-ring 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.

¹⁴As 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 neighbor’s house,

Lest he be weary of thee, and hate thee.

¹⁸A man that beareth false witness against his neighbor

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.

²⁰As one that taketh off a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon soda,

So is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart.

²¹If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat;

And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

²²For thou wilt heap coals of fire upon his head,

And Jehovah will reward thee.

²³The north wind bringeth forth rain:

So doth a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.

²⁴It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop,

Than with a contentious woman in a wide house.

²⁵As cold waters to a thirsty soul,

So is good news from a far country.

²⁶As 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 grievous.

²⁸He whose spirit is without restraint

Is like a city that is broken down and without walls.

26As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest,

So honor is not seemly for a fool.

²As the sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying,

So the curse that is causeless alighteth not.

³A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass,

And a rod for the back of fools.

⁴Answer not a fool according to his folly,

Lest thou also be like unto him.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly,

Lest he be wise in his own conceit.

⁶He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool

Cutteth off his own feet, and drinketh in damage.

⁷The legs of the lame hang loose;

So is a parable in the mouth of fools.

⁸As one that bindeth a stone in a sling,

So is he that giveth honor to a fool.

⁹As a thorn that goeth up into the hand of a drunkard,

So is a parable in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰As an archer that woundeth all,

So is he that hireth a fool and he that hireth them that pass by.

¹¹As a dog that returneth to his vomit,

So is a fool that repeateth his folly.

¹²Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit?

There is more hope of a fool than of him.

¹³The sluggard saith, There is a lion in the way;

A lion is in the streets.

¹⁴As the door turneth upon its hinges,

So doth the sluggard upon his bed.

¹⁵The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish;

It wearieth him to bring it again to his mouth.

¹⁶The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit

Than seven men that can render a reason.

¹⁷He that passeth by, and vexeth himself with strife belonging not to him,

Is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

¹⁸As a madman who casteth firebrands,

Arrows, and death,

¹⁹So is the man that deceiveth his neighbor,

And saith, Am not I in sport?

²⁰For lack of wood the fire goeth out;

And where there is no whisperer, contention ceaseth.

²¹As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire,

So is a contentious man to inflame strife.

²²The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels,

And they go down into the innermost parts.

²³Fervent lips and a wicked heart

Are like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross.

²⁴He that hateth dissembleth with his lips;

But he layeth up deceit within him:

²⁵When he speaketh fair, believe him not;

For there are seven abominations in his heart:

²⁶Though his hatred cover itself with guile,

His wickedness shall be openly showed before the assembly.

²⁷Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein;

And he that rolleth a stone, it shall return upon him.

²⁸A lying tongue hateth those whom it hath wounded;

And a flattering mouth worketh ruin.