Proverbs 25–29

Hezekiah’s Collection

25These too are proverbs of Solomon, ^y

which the men of Hezekiah, ^zking of Judah, copied.

²It is the glory of God to conceal a matter ^a

and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.

³As the heaven is high and the earth is deep,

so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated.

⁴Remove impurities from silver, ^b

and a vessel will be produced ^cfor a silversmith. ^d

⁵Remove the wicked from the king’s presence, ^e

and his throne will be established in righteousness. ^f

⁶Don’t brag 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. ^gh

⁸Don’t take a matter to court hastily. ⁱ

Otherwise, what will you do afterward

if your opponent ^jhumiliates you?

⁹Make your case with your opponent ^k

without revealing another’s secret; ^l

¹⁰otherwise, the one who hears will disgrace you,

and you’ll never live it down. ^m

¹¹A word spoken at the right time

is like gold apples on a silver tray. ^no

¹²A wise correction to a receptive ear ^p

is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.

¹³To those who send him, a trustworthy messenger

is like the coolness of snow on a harvest day;

he refreshes the life of his masters. ^q

¹⁴The man who boasts about a gift that does not exist

is like clouds and wind without rain. ^r

¹⁵A ruler can be persuaded through patience,

and a gentle tongue can break a bone. ^s

¹⁶If you find honey, ^teat only what you need;

otherwise, you’ll get sick from it and vomit. ^u

¹⁷Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house;

otherwise, he’ll get sick of you and hate you.

¹⁸A man giving false testimony against his neighbor ^v

is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow. ^w

¹⁹Trusting an unreliable person in a difficult time

is like a rotten tooth or a faltering foot. ^x

²⁰Singing songs to a troubled heart

is like taking off clothing on a cold day

or like pouring vinegar on soda. ^yz

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat,

and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; ^a

²²for you will heap burning coals on his head,

and the Lord will reward you. ^b

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. ^c

²⁵Good news from a distant land

is like cold water to a parched throat. ^de

²⁶A righteous person who yields to the wicked ^f

is like a muddied spring or a polluted well. ^g

²⁷It is not good to eat too much honey ^h

or to seek glory after glory. ^ij

²⁸A man who does not control his temper ^k

is like a city whose wall is broken down. ^l

26Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, ^m

honor is inappropriate for a fool. ⁿ

²Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow, ^o

an undeserved curse goes nowhere. ^p

³A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, ^q

and a rod for the backs of fools. ^r

⁴Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness ^s

or you’ll be like him yourself.

⁵Answer a fool according to his foolishness ^t

or he’ll become wise in his own eyes. ^u

⁶The one who sends a message by a fool’s hand ^v

cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. ^w

⁷A proverb in the mouth of a fool

is like lame legs that hang limp.

⁸Giving honor to a fool

is like binding a stone in a sling. ^x

⁹A proverb in the mouth of a fool

is like a stick with thorns,

brandished by ^ythe hand of a drunkard.

¹⁰The one who hires a fool or who hires those passing by

is like an archer who wounds everyone.

¹¹As a dog returns to its vomit,

so a fool repeats his foolishness. ^z

¹²Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? ^a

There is more hope for a fool than for him. ^b

¹³The slacker says, “There’s a lion in the road—

a lion in the public square!” ^c

¹⁴A door turns on its hinges,

and a slacker, on his bed. ^d

¹⁵The slacker buries his hand in the bowl;

he is too weary to bring it to his mouth. ^e

¹⁶In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser ^f

than seven men who can answer sensibly.

¹⁷A person who is passing by and meddles in a quarrel that’s not his

is like one who grabs a dog by the ears.

¹⁸Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows, ^g

¹⁹so is the man who deceives his neighbor

and says, “I was only joking!”

²⁰Without wood, fire goes out;

without a gossip, conflict dies down. ^h

²¹As charcoal for embers and wood for fire,

so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. ⁱ

²²A gossip’s words are like choice food

that goes down to one’s innermost being. ^jk

²³Smooth ^llips with an evil heart

are like glaze on an earthen vessel. ^m

²⁴A hateful person disguises himself with his speech

and harbors deceit within.

²⁵When he speaks graciously, don’t believe him,

for there are seven abominations in his heart. ⁿ

²⁶Though his hatred is concealed by deception,

his evil will be revealed in the assembly.

²⁷The one who digs a pit will fall into it,

and whoever rolls a stone—

it will come back on him. ^o

²⁸A lying tongue hates those it crushes,

and a flattering mouth causes ruin.

27Don’t boast about tomorrow,

for you don’t know what a day might bring. ^p

²Let another praise you, and not your own mouth—

a stranger, and not your own lips. ^q

³A stone is heavy and sand, a burden,

but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.

⁴Fury is cruel, and anger a flood,

but who can withstand jealousy? ^r

⁵Better an open reprimand

than concealed love. ^s

⁶The wounds of a friend are trustworthy, ^t

but the kisses of an enemy are excessive. ^u

⁷A person who is full tramples on a honeycomb, ^v

but to a hungry person, any bitter thing is sweet.

⁸A man wandering from his home

is like a bird wandering from its nest. ^w

⁹Oil ^xand incense bring joy to the heart,

and the sweetness of a friend is better than self-counsel. ^y

¹⁰Don’t abandon your friend or your father’s friend, ^z

and don’t go to your brother’s house

in your time of calamity;

better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away. ^a

¹¹Be wise, my son, and bring my heart joy, ^b

so that I can answer anyone who taunts me. ^c

¹²A sensible person sees danger and takes cover;

the inexperienced keep going and are punished. ^d

¹³Take his garment, ^e

for he has put up security for a stranger;

get collateral if it is for foreigners. ^fg

¹⁴If one blesses his neighbor

with a loud voice early in the morning,

it will be counted as a curse to him.

¹⁵An endless dripping on a rainy day

and a nagging wife are alike. ^h

¹⁶The one who controls her controls the wind

and grasps oil with his right hand.

¹⁷Iron sharpens iron,

and one man sharpens another. ⁱ

¹⁸Whoever tends a fig tree ^jwill eat its fruit, ^k

and whoever looks after his master will be honored.

¹⁹As water reflects the face,

so the heart reflects the person.

²⁰Sheol and Abaddon ^lare never satisfied, ^m

and people’s eyes are never satisfied. ⁿ

²¹A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold,

and a man for the words of his praise. ^op

²²Though you grind a fool

in a mortar with a pestle along with grain,

you will not separate his foolishness from him. ^q

²³Know well the condition of your flock, ^r

and pay attention to your herds,

²⁴for wealth is not forever; ^s

not even a crown lasts for all time.

²⁵When hay is removed and new growth appears

and the grain from the hills is gathered in,

²⁶lambs will provide your clothing,

and goats, the price of a field;

²⁷there will be enough goat’s milk for your food—

food for your household

and nourishment for your female servants. ^t

28The wicked flee when no one is pursuing them, ^u

but the righteous are as bold as a lion. ^v

²When a land is in rebellion, it has many rulers, ^w

but with a discerning and knowledgeable person, it endures.

³A destitute leader ^xwho oppresses the poor

is like a driving rain that leaves no food. ^y

⁴Those who reject the law praise the wicked, ^z

but those who keep the law battle against them. ^a

⁵Evil men do not understand justice, ^b

but those who seek the Lord understand everything. ^c

⁶Better a poor man who lives with integrity ^d

than a rich man who distorts right and wrong. ^ef

⁷A discerning son keeps the law,

but a companion of gluttons humiliates his father. ^g

⁸Whoever increases his wealth through excessive interest ^h

collects it for one who is kind to the poor. ⁱ

⁹Anyone who turns his ear away from hearing the law—

even his prayer is detestable. ^j

¹⁰The one who leads the upright into an evil way

will fall into his own pit, ^k

but the blameless will inherit what is good. ^l

¹¹A rich man is wise in his own eyes,

but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.

¹²When the righteous triumph,

there is great rejoicing, ^m

but when the wicked come to power,

people hide themselves. ⁿ

¹³The one who conceals his sins

will not prosper, ^o

but whoever confesses and renounces them

will find mercy. ^p

¹⁴Happy is the one who is always reverent, ^q

but one who hardens his heart falls into trouble. ^r

¹⁵A wicked ruler over a helpless people ^s

is like a roaring lion or a charging bear. ^t

¹⁶A leader who lacks understanding

is very oppressive,

but one who hates dishonest profit

prolongs his life. ^u

¹⁷A man burdened by bloodguilt ^v

will be a fugitive until death. ^w

Let no one help him. ^x

¹⁸The one who lives with integrity will be helped,

but one who distorts right and wrong ^y

will suddenly fall. ^z

¹⁹The one who works his land

will have plenty of food, ^a

but whoever chases fantasies

will have his fill of poverty. ^b

²⁰A faithful man will have many blessings, ^c

but one in a hurry to get rich ^d

will not go unpunished.

²¹It is not good to show partiality ^e—

yet a man may sin for a piece of bread. ^f

²²A greedy man ^gis in a hurry for wealth;

he doesn’t know that poverty will come to him. ^h

²³One who rebukes a person will later find more favor ⁱ

than one who flatters ^jwith his tongue. ^k

²⁴The one who robs his father or mother ^l

and says, “That’s no sin,” ^m

is a companion to a man who destroys. ⁿ

²⁵A greedy person provokes conflict, ^o

but whoever trusts in the Lord will prosper. ^p

²⁶The one who trusts in himself ^qis a fool,

but one who walks in wisdom will be safe. ^r

²⁷The one who gives to the poor

will not be in need,

but one who turns his eyes away ^s

will receive many curses. ^t

²⁸When the wicked come to…