Proverbs 25:1–29:27
1 These also are aproverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.
2 It is the glory of God to aconceal a matter,
But the glory of bkings is to search out a matter.
3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the adross from the silver,
And there comes out a vessel for the bsmith;
5 Take away the awicked before the king,
And his bthrone will be established in righteousness.
6 Do not claim honor in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the place of great men;
7 For ait is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.
8 Do not go out ahastily to 1argue your case;
2Otherwise, what will you do in 3the end,
When your neighbor humiliates you?
9 1aArgue your case with your neighbor,
And bdo not reveal the secret of another,
10 Or he who hears it will reproach you,
And the evil report about you will not 1pass away.
11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver
Is a aword spoken in 1right circumstances.
12 Like 1an aearring of gold and an bornament of cfine gold
Is a wise reprover to a dlistening ear.
13 Like the cold of snow in the 1time of harvest
Is a afaithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 Like aclouds and bwind without rain
Is a man who boasts 1of his gifts falsely.
15 By 1aforbearance a ruler may be persuaded,
And a soft tongue breaks the bone.
16 Have you afound honey? Eat only 1what you need,
That you not have it in excess and vomit it.
17 Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house,
Or he will become 1weary of you and hate you.
18 Like a club and a asword and a sharp barrow
Is a man who bears cfalse witness against his neighbor.
19 Like a bad tooth and 1an unsteady foot
Is confidence in a afaithless man in time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on 1soda,
Is he who sings songs to 2a troubled heart.
21 aIf 1your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For you will 1heap burning coals on his head,
And athe Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings forth rain,
And a 1abackbiting tongue, an angry countenance.
24 It is abetter to live in a corner of the roof
Than 1in a house shared with a contentious woman.
25 Like cold water to a weary soul,
So is agood news from a distant land.
26 Like a atrampled spring and a 1polluted well
Is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat much honey,
Nor is it glory to asearch out 1one’s own glory.
28 Like a acity that is broken into and without walls
Is a man bwho has no control over his spirit.
1 Like snow in summer and like arain in harvest,
So honor is not bfitting for a fool.
2 Like a asparrow in its 1flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
So a bcurse without cause does not 2alight.
3 A awhip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
And a brod for the back of fools.
4 aDo not answer a fool according to his folly,
Or you will also be like him.
5 aAnswer a fool as his folly deserves,
That he not be bwise in his own eyes.
6 He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence
Who sends a message by the hand of a fool.
7 Like the legs which 1are useless to the lame,
So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8 Like 1one who binds a stone in a sling,
So is he who gives honor to a fool.
9 Like a thorn which 1falls into the hand of a drunkard,
So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 1Like an archer who wounds everyone,
So is he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by.
11 Like aa dog that returns to its vomit
Is a fool who brepeats 1his folly.
12 Do you see a man awise in his own eyes?
bThere is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 The asluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!
A lion is 1in the open square!”
14 As the door turns on its hinges,
So does the asluggard on his bed.
15 The asluggard buries his hand in the dish;
He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.
16 The sluggard is awiser in his own eyes
Than seven men who can 1give a discreet answer.
17 Like one who takes a dog by the ears
Is he who passes by and 1meddles with astrife not belonging to him.
aFirebrands, arrows and death,
19 So is the man who adeceives his neighbor,
And says, “bWas I not joking?”
20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no awhisperer, bcontention quiets down.
21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a acontentious man to kindle strife.
22 The awords of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the 1innermost parts of the body.
23 Like an earthen avessel overlaid with silver bdross
Are burning lips and a wicked heart.
24 He who ahates disguises it with his lips,
But he lays up bdeceit in his 1heart.
25 When 1he aspeaks graciously, do not believe him,
For there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 Though his hatred acovers itself with guile,
His wickedness will be brevealed before the assembly.
27 He who adigs a pit will fall into it,
And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates 1those it crushes,
And a aflattering mouth works ruin.
1 aDo not boast about tomorrow,
For you bdo not know what a day may bring forth.
2 Let aanother praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.
3 A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,
But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.
4 Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood,
But awho can stand before jealousy?
5 Better is aopen rebuke
Than love that is concealed.
6 Faithful are the awounds of a friend,
But 1deceitful are the bkisses of an enemy.
7 A sated 1man 2loathes honey,
But to a famished 1man any bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a abird that wanders from her nest,
So is a man who bwanders from his 1home.
9 aOil and perfume make the heart glad,
So a 1man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.
10 Do not forsake your own afriend or byour father’s friend,
And do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;
Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.
11 aBe wise, my son, and make my heart glad,
That I may breply to him who reproaches me.
12 A prudent man sees evil and hides himself,
The 1naive proceed and pay the penalty.
13 aTake his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger;
And for an 1adulterous woman hold him in pledge.
14 aHe who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning,
It will be reckoned a curse to him.
15 A aconstant dripping on a day of steady rain
And a contentious woman are alike;
16 He who would 1restrain her 1restrains the wind,
And 2grasps oil with his right hand.
So one man sharpens another.
18 He who tends the afig tree will eat its fruit,
And he who bcares for his master will be honored.
19 As in water face reflects face,
So the heart of man reflects man.
20 1aSheol and 2Abaddon are bnever satisfied,
Nor are the ceyes of man ever satisfied.
21 The acrucible is for silver and the furnace for gold,
And each bis tested by the praise accorded him.
22 Though you apound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,
Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.
23 aKnow well the 1condition of your flocks,
And pay attention to your herds;
24 For riches are not forever,
Nor does a acrown endure to all generations.
25 When the grass disappears, the new growth is seen,
And the herbs of the mountains are agathered in,
26 The lambs will be for your clothing,
And the goats will bring the price of a field,
27 And there will be goats’ milk enough for your food,
For the food of your household,
And sustenance for your maidens.
1 The wicked aflee when no one is pursuing,
But the righteous are 1bold as a lion.
2 By the transgression of a land amany are its princes,
But bby a man of understanding and knowledge, so it endures.
3 A apoor man who oppresses the lowly
Is like a driving rain 1which leaves no food.
4 Those who forsake the law apraise the wicked,
But those who keep the law bstrive with them.
5 Evil men ado not understand justice,
But those who seek the Lord bunderstand all things.
6 aBetter is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than he who is 1crooked though he be rich.
7 He who keeps the law is a discerning son,
But he who is a companion of agluttons humiliates his father.
8 He who increases his wealth by ainterest and usury
Gathers it bfor him who is gracious to the poor.
9 He who turns away his ear from listening to the law,
Even his aprayer is an abomination.
10 He who leads the upright astray in an evil way
Will ahimself fall into his own pit,
But the bblameless will inherit good.
11 The rich man is awise in his own eyes,
But the poor who has understanding 1sees through him.
12 When the arighteous triumph, there is great glory,
But bwhen the wicked rise, men 1hide themselves.
13 He who aconceals his transgressions will not prosper,
But he who bconfesses and forsakes them will find compassion.
14 How blessed is the man who afears always,
But he who bhardens his heart will fall into calamity.
15 Like a aroaring lion and a rushing bear
Is a bwicked ruler over a poor people.
16 A aleader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding,
But he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
17 A man who is aladen with the guilt of human blood
Will 1be a fugitive until death; let no one support him.
18 He who walks blamelessly will be delivered,
But he who is 1acrooked will fall all at once.
19 aHe who tills his land will bhave plenty of food,
But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty.
20 A afaithful man will abound with blessings,
But he who bmakes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.
21 To 1ashow partiality is not good,
bBecause for a piece of bread a man will transgress.
22 A man with an aevil eye bhastens after wealth
And does not know that want will come upon him.
23 He who arebukes a man will afterward find more favor
Than he who b…