Proverbs 25–27

Further Wise Sayings of Solomon

25These ^aalso are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied:

^2bIt is the glory of God to conceal a matter,

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.

^4cTake away the dross from silver,

And it will go to the silversmith for jewelry.

⁵Take away the wicked from before the king,

And his throne will be established in ^drighteousness.

⁶Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,

And do not stand in the place of the great;

^7eFor it is better that he say to you,

“Come up here,”

Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince,

Whom your eyes have seen.

^8fDo not go hastily to ¹court;

For what will you do in the end,

When your neighbor has put you to shame?

^9gDebate your case with your neighbor,

And do not disclose the secret to another;

¹⁰Lest he who hears it expose your shame,

And ²your reputation be ruined.

¹¹A word fitly ^hspoken is like apples of gold

In settings of silver.

¹²Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold

Is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear.

¹³ⁱLike the cold of snow in time of harvest

Is a faithful messenger to those who send him,

For he refreshes the soul of his masters.

^14jWhoever falsely boasts of giving

Is like ^kclouds and wind without rain.

^15lBy long forbearance a ruler is persuaded,

And a gentle tongue breaks a bone.

¹⁶Have you found honey?

Eat only as much as you need,

Lest you be filled with it and vomit.

¹⁷Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house,

Lest he become weary of you and hate you.

^18mA man who bears false witness against his neighbor

Is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.

¹⁹Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble

Is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.

²⁰Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather,

And like vinegar on soda,

Is one who ⁿsings songs to a heavy heart.

^21oIf your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;

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

²²For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,

^pAnd the Lord will reward you.

²³The north wind brings forth rain,

And ^qa backbiting tongue an angry countenance.

^24rIt is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,

Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

²⁵As cold water to a weary soul,

So is ^sgood news from a far country.

²⁶A righteous man who falters before the wicked

Is like a murky spring and a ³polluted well.

²⁷It is not good to eat much honey;

So ^tto seek one’s own glory is not glory.

^28uWhoever has no rule over his own spirit

Is like a city broken down, without walls.

26As snow in summer ^aand rain in harvest,

So honor is not fitting for a fool.

²Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow,

So ^ba curse without cause shall not alight.

^3cA whip for the horse,

A bridle for the donkey,

And a rod for the fool’s back.

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

Lest you also be like him.

^5dAnswer a fool according to his folly,

Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

⁶He who sends a message by the hand of a fool

Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

⁷Like the legs of the lame that hang limp

Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

⁸Like one who binds a stone in a sling

Is he who gives honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard

Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰¹The great God who formed everything

Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.

^11eAs a dog returns to his own vomit,

^fSo a fool repeats his folly.

^12gDo you see a man wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road!

A fierce lion is in the ²streets!”

¹⁴As a door turns on its hinges,

So does the lazy man on his bed.

¹⁵The ^hlazy man buries his hand in the ³bowl;

It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁶The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes

Than seven men who can answer sensibly.

¹⁷He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own

Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.

¹⁸Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,

¹⁹Is the man who deceives his neighbor,

And says, ⁱ“I was only joking!”

²⁰Where there is no wood, the fire goes out;

And where there is no ⁴talebearer, strife ceases.

^21jAs charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire,

So is a contentious man to kindle strife.

²²The words of a ⁵talebearer are like ⁶tasty trifles,

And they go down into the ⁷inmost body.

²³Fervent lips with a wicked heart

Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.

²⁴He who hates, disguises it with his lips,

And lays up deceit within himself;

^25kWhen ⁸he speaks kindly, do not believe him,

For there are seven abominations in his heart;

²⁶Though his hatred is covered by deceit,

His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.

^27lWhoever digs a pit will fall into it,

And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it,

And a flattering mouth works ^mruin.

27Do ^anot boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

^2bLet another man praise you, and not your own mouth;

A stranger, and not your own lips.

³A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,

But a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them.

⁴Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent,

But ^cwho is able to stand before jealousy?

^5dOpen rebuke is better

Than love carefully concealed.

⁶Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

But the kisses of an enemy are ^edeceitful.

⁷A satisfied soul ¹loathes the honeycomb,

But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

⁸Like a bird that wanders from its nest

Is a man who wanders from his place.

⁹Ointment and perfume delight the heart,

And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by ²hearty counsel.

¹⁰Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend,

Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;

^fBetter is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

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

^gThat I may answer him who reproaches me.

¹²A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself;

The simple pass on and are ^hpunished.

¹³Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger,

And hold it in pledge when he is surety for a seductress.

¹⁴He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,

It will be counted a curse to him.

¹⁵A ⁱcontinual dripping on a very rainy day

And a contentious woman are alike;

¹⁶Whoever ³restrains her restrains the wind,

And grasps oil with his right hand.

¹⁷As iron sharpens iron,

So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

^18jWhoever ⁴keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit;

So he who waits on his master will be honored.

¹⁹As in water face reflects face,

So a man’s heart reveals the man.

^20kHell ⁵and ⁶Destruction are never full;

So ^lthe eyes of man are never satisfied.

^21mThe refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,

And a man is valued by what others say of him.

²²ⁿThough you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,

Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

²³Be diligent to know the state of your ^oflocks,

And attend to your herds;

²⁴For riches are not forever,

Nor does a crown endure to all generations.

^25pWhen the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself,

And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,

²⁶The lambs will provide your clothing,

And the goats the price of a field;

²⁷You shall have enough goats’ milk for your food,

For the food of your household,

And the nourishment of your maidservants.