Proverbs 25

CHAPTER 25

Analogies of Wisdom

¹These also are ^aproverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.

²It is the glory of God to ^aconceal a matter,

But the glory of ^bkings 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 ^adross from the silver,

And there comes out a vessel for the ^bsmith;

⁵Take away the ^awicked before the king,

And his ^bthrone will be established in righteousness.

⁶Do not promote your majesty in the presence of the king,

And in the place of great men do not stand;

⁷For ^ait is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”

Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of a noble,

Whom your eyes have seen.

⁸Do not go out ^ahastily to plead your case;

Lest, what will you do in ¹the end,

When your neighbor humiliates you?

^9aPlead your case with your neighbor,

And ^bdo not reveal the secret of another,

¹⁰Lest he who hears it bring disgrace upon you,

And the bad report about you will not turn away.

¹¹Like apples of gold in settings of silver

Is a ^aword spoken in ¹right circumstances.

¹²Like ¹an ^aearring of gold and an ^bornament of ^cfine gold

Is a wise reprover to a ^dlistening ear.

¹³Like the cold of snow in the ¹time of harvest

Is a ^afaithful envoy to those who send him,

For he refreshes the soul of his masters.

¹⁴Like ^aclouds and ^bwind without rain

Is a man who boasts ¹of his gifts falsely.

^15aWhen one is slow to anger, a ruler may be persuaded,

And a soft tongue breaks the bone.

¹⁶Have you ^afound honey? Eat only enough for you,

Lest you have more than your fill and vomit it.

¹⁷Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house,

Lest he have more than his fill of you and hate you.

¹⁸Like a club and a ^asword and a sharp ^barrow

Is a man who bears ^1cfalse witness against his neighbor.

¹⁹Like ¹an aching tooth and a slipping foot

Is trust in a ^atreacherous man in a day of distress.

²⁰Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on ¹soda,

Is he who sings songs to ²an aching heart.

^21aIf ¹your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;

And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

²²For you will ¹heap burning coals on his head,

And ^aYahweh will repay you.

²³The north wind brings forth rain,

And a ^atongue of secrets, an indignant face.

²⁴It is ^abetter to live in a corner of the roof

Than ¹in a house shared with a contentious woman.

²⁵Like cold water to a weary soul,

So is a ^agood report from a distant land.

²⁶Like a ^amuddied spring and a corrupted well

Is a righteous man shaking before the wicked.

²⁷To eat too much honey is not good,

Nor is it glory to ^asearch out ¹one’s own glory.

²⁸Like a ^acity that is broken into and without a wall

Is a man ^bwithout restraint over his spirit.