Proverbs 25:1–29:27

More Proverbs of Solomon

25These are also proverbs of Solomon which officials of Hezekiah king of Judah copied:

²The glory of God^a conceals things,

but the glory of kings searches out things.

³As heaven is to height and the earth is to depth,

so is the heart^b of kings—there is no searching.

⁴Remove the dross from silver,

and it will become a vessel for the smith.

⁵Remove the wicked before a king,

and his throne will be established in righteousness.^c

⁶Do not promote yourself before the king,

and in the place of the great ones do not stand.

⁷For it is better that he say to you, “Ascend here,”

than he humble you before a noble.

What your eyes have seen,

⁸do not hastily bring out to court,

for^d what will you do at its end,

when your neighbor puts you to shame?

⁹Argue your argument with your neighbor himself,

the secret of another do not disclose,

¹⁰lest he who hears shame you

and your ill repute will not end.

¹¹Apples of gold in a setting of silver

is a matter spoken at^e its proper time.

¹²A ring of gold and an ornament of fine gold

is a rebuke of the wise to the ear of a listener.

¹³Like the cold of snow on a day^f of harvest

is a faithful messenger to those who send him,

and the soul^g of his master is refreshed.^h

¹⁴Like clouds and wind when there is no rain,

so too is a man who boasts in a gift of deception.

¹⁵With patienceⁱ a ruler may be persuaded,

and a soft tongue will break a bone.^j

¹⁶If you find honey, eat what is sufficient for you,

lest you have your fill of it and vomit it out.

¹⁷Make your foot scarce in the house of your neighbor,

lest he become weary of you and hate you.

¹⁸Like a club and sword and a sharp arrow

is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.

¹⁹A bad tooth and a lame foot

is the trust of a faithless person in a time^k of trouble.

²⁰Like one who removes a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on natron,^l

is he who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹If your enemy is hungry, feed him bread,

and if thirsty, let him drink water.

²²For coals of fire you will heap upon his head,

and Yahweh will reward you.

²³The wind of the north produces rain,

and a backbiting tongue, angry faces.

²⁴Better to live upon the corner of a roof

than with a woman^m of contention and in a shared house.

²⁵Like cold waterⁿ upon a weary soul,^o

so too is good news from a distant place.

²⁶Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain

is the righteous who gives way before the wicked.

²⁷To eat much honey is not good,

nor is seeking one’s honor^p honorable.

²⁸A breached city where there is no wall

is like a man who has no^q self-control for his spirit.

26Like snow in the summer and like rain at the harvest,

so honor is not fitting for a fool.

²Like the sparrow is to fluttering and like the swallow is to flying,

so an undeserved curse does not go forth.

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

and a rod for the back of fools.

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly

lest you become like him—even you.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly,

or else he will be wise in his own eyes.

⁶Like cutting off feet or drinking violence,

so is he who sends messages in the hand of a fool.

⁷Like legs that hang limp from a lame person,

so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

⁸Like binding a stone in a sling,

so is giving honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thorn that goes up in the hand of a drunkard,

so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰Like an archer who wounds everyone,

so is he who hires a fool or he who hires passersby.

¹¹Like a dog returning to his vomit

is a fool reverting to his folly.

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

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³A lazy person says “A lion is in the road!

A lion among the streets!”

¹⁴The door turns on its hinge,

and a lazy person on his bed.

¹⁵A lazy person buries his hands in the dish;

he is too tired to return it to his mouth.

¹⁶A lazy person is wiser in his eyes

than seven who answer discreetly.

¹⁷Grabbing onto the ears of a dog

passing by is one who meddles in a quarrel that is not his own.

¹⁸Like a maniac who shoots

firebrands, arrows, and death,

¹⁹so is a man who deceives his neighbor,

but says “Am I not joking?”

²⁰For lack of wood, a fire goes out,

and where there is no whisperer, quarreling will cease.

²¹As charcoal is to hot embers and wood is to fire,

so a man of quarrels is to kindling strife.

²²The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels,

and they go down to the inner parts of the body.

²³Like impure silver^a which overlays an earthen vessel,

so are smooth lips and an evil heart^b.

²⁴On his lips, an enemy will pretend,

but inside^c he will harbor deceit.

²⁵When he makes his voice gracious, do not believe him,

for seven abominations are in his heart.

²⁶Though hatred is covered with guile,

its evil will be exposed in the assembly.

²⁷He who digs a pit, in it he will fall,

and he who rolls a stone, on him it will come back.

²⁸A tongue of deceit hates its victim,

and a flattering mouth makes ruin.

27Do not boast about tomorrow,^a

for you do not know what the day will bring.

²May another praise you and not your own mouth,

a stranger and not your own lips.

³Heavy is a stone and weighty is sand,

but the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.

⁴Cruel is wrath and overwhelming is anger,

but who will stand before jealousy?

⁵Better a rebuke that is open

than a love that is hidden.

⁶The wounds of a friend mean well,

but the kisses of an enemy are profane.

⁷An appetite^b that is sated spurns honey,

but to an appetite^c that is ravenous, all bitterness is sweet.

⁸Like a bird that strays from its nest,

so is a man who strays from his place.

⁹Perfume and incense will gladden a heart,

and the pleasantness of one’s friend is personal advice.^d

¹⁰As for your friend and a friend of your father, do not forsake them,

and the house of your brother, do not enter on the day of your calamity.

Better is a close neighbor than a distant brother.

¹¹Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad,

and I will answer him who reproaches me with a word.

¹²When the clever sees danger, he hides;

the simple go on and suffer.

¹³Take his garment, for he gives surety to a stranger,

and to an adulteress^e—so take his pledge.

¹⁴He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice

early in the morning,

a curse will be reckoned to him.

¹⁵Dripping constantly on a day of heavy rain

and a woman^f of contention are alike.

¹⁶In restraining her, he restrains wind,^g

and his right hand will grasp oil^h.

¹⁷As iron sharpensⁱ iron,

so one man sharpens another.^j

¹⁸He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,

and he who guards his master^k will be honored.

¹⁹As the waters reflect face to face,^l

so the heart of a person reflects the person.

²⁰Sheol^m and Abaddonⁿ will not be satisfied,

and the eyes of a person will not be satisfied either.

²¹A crucible is for the silver, and a furnace for the gold,

but a man is tested by the mouth of him who praises him.

²²If you crush a fool in the mortar with the pestle along with^o the crushed grain,

it will not drive folly from upon him.

²³You will surely know the condition^p of your flock;

your heart^q attends to the herds.

²⁴For riches are not forever,

nor a crown for generation after generation.

²⁵When the grass is gone, then green growth will appear,

and the herbs of the mountains will be gathered.

²⁶Lambs will be your clothing,

and goats the price of the field.

²⁷And there will be enough goats’ milk for your food,

for the food of your household and the nourishment^r of your maidservants.

28The wicked flee, but no one pursues,

but the righteous is bold like a lion.

²By the rebellion of a land, her rulers increase,

but by a person of intelligence who knows justice, it will last.

³A man who is poor and oppresses the impoverished

is a beating rain that leaves^a no food.

⁴Those who forsake instruction will praise the wicked,

but they who guard instruction will struggle against them.

⁵Men of evil do not understand justice,

but seekers of Yahweh understand completely.^b

⁶Better to be poor and walking in one’s integrity

than to be crooked of ways when one is rich.

⁷He who keeps instruction is a child of understanding,

but the companion of gluttons will shame his father.

⁸He who augments his wealth with interest and with usury

gathers it for him who is kind to the poor.

⁹He who turns his ear from listening to instruction,

even his prayer is an abomination.

¹⁰He who misleads the upright onto the way of evil,

into his pits he will fall.

But as for the blameless, they will inherit good.

¹¹A man of wealth is wise in his own eyes,

but the intelligent poor sees through him.

¹²When the righteous triumphs, great is the glory,

but with the rising of the wicked, a person will be hidden.

¹³He who conceals his transgression will not prosper,

but he who confesses and forsakes will obtain mercy.

¹⁴Happy is the person who fears continuously,

but he who is stubborn of heart,^c will fall into calamity.

¹⁵Like a roaring lion and a charging bear

is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

¹⁶A ruler who lacks understanding is^d a cruel oppressor,

but those who hate unjust gain will have long^e days.

¹⁷A person who is burdened with the blood of another,^f

until death he will flee;

do not take hold of him.

¹⁸He who walks in integrity will be safe,

but he who takes crooked paths will fall in one.

¹⁹He who tills his ground will have plenty bread,

but he who follows fantasies will have plenty of poverty.

²⁰A man of faithfulness has abundant blessings,

but he who hurries to become rich will not go unpunished.

²¹Showing partiality^g is not good,

and over a morsel of bread, a strong man will do wrong.

²²He who hurries for wealth is a man with an evil eye,^h

but he does not know that poverty will come upon him.

²³He who rebukes a person will afterward find more favor

than he who flatters with the tongue.

²⁴He who robs his father and his mother and says, “There is no crime,”

is partner to a man who corrupts.

²⁵The greedy personⁱ will…