Proverbs 25:1–29:27

These 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.

27Boast not thyself of to-morrow;

For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

²Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth;

A stranger, and not thine own lips.

³A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty;

But a fool’s vexation is heavier than they both.

⁴Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming;

But who is able to stand before jealousy?

⁵Better is open rebuke

Than love that is hidden.

⁶Faithful are the wounds of a friend;

But the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

⁷The full soul loatheth a honeycomb;

But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

⁸As a bird that wandereth from her nest,

So is a man that wandereth from his place.

⁹Oil and perfume rejoice the heart;

So doth the sweetness of a man’s friend that cometh of hearty counsel.

¹⁰Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not;

And go not to thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity:

Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.

¹¹My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,

That I may answer him that reproacheth me.

¹²A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself;

But the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

¹³Take his garment that is surety for a stranger;

And hold him in pledge that is surety for a foreign woman.

¹⁴He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,

It shall be counted a curse to him.

¹⁵A continual dropping in a very rainy day

And a contentious woman are alike:

¹⁶He that would restrain her restraineth the wind;

And his right hand encountereth oil.

¹⁷Iron sharpeneth iron;

So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

¹⁸Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof;

And he that regardeth his master shall be honored.

¹⁹As in water face answereth to face,

So the heart of man to man.

²⁰Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied;

And the eyes of man are never satisfied.

²¹The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold;

And a man is tried by his praise.

²²Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with bruised grain,

Yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

²³Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks,

And look well to thy herds:

²⁴For riches are not for ever:

And doth the crown endure unto all generations?

²⁵The hay is carried, and the tender grass showeth itself,

And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in.

²⁶The lambs are for thy clothing,

And the goats are the price of the field;

²⁷And there will be goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household,

And maintenance for thy maidens.

28The wicked flee when no man pursueth;

But the righteous are bold as a lion.

²For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof;

But by men of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.

³A needy man that oppresseth the poor

Is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.

⁴They that forsake the law praise the wicked;

But such as keep the law contend with them.

⁵Evil men understand not justice;

But they that seek Jehovah understand all things.

⁶Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity,

Than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

⁷Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son;

But he that is a companion of gluttons shameth his father.

⁸He that augmenteth his substance by interest and increase,

Gathereth it for him that hath pity on the poor.

⁹He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law,

Even his prayer is an abomination.

¹⁰Whoso causeth the upright to go astray in an evil way,

He shall fall himself into his own pit;

But the perfect shall inherit good.

¹¹The rich man is wise in his own conceit;

But the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.

¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great glory;

But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.

¹³He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper:

But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy.

¹⁴Happy is the man that feareth alway;

But he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.

¹⁵As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear,

So is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

¹⁶The prince that lacketh understanding is also a great oppressor;

But he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.

¹⁷A man that is laden with the blood of any person

Shall flee unto the pit; let no man stay him.

¹⁸Whoso walketh uprightly shall be delivered;

But he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once.

¹⁹He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread;

But he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.

²⁰A faithful man shall abound with blessings;

But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be unpunished.

²¹To have respect of persons is not good;

Neither that a man should transgress for a piece of bread.

²²He that hath an evil eye hasteth after riches,

And knoweth not that want shall come upon him.

²³He that rebuketh a man shall afterward find more favor

Than he…