25 These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of King Hezekiah of Judah copied:
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
and it is the glory of a king to search out a matter.
3 As the heaven is high and the earth is deep
so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
4 Remove the dross from the silver,
and material for the silversmith will emerge;
5 remove the wicked from before the king,
and his throne will be established in righteousness.
6 Do not honor yourself before the king,
and do not stand in the place of great men;
7 for it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”
than to put you lower before a prince,
whom your eyes have seen.
8 Do not go out hastily to litigation,
or what will you do afterward
when your neighbor puts you to shame?
9 When you argue a case with your neighbor,
do not reveal the secret of another person,
10 lest the one who hears it put you to shame
and your infamy will never go away.
11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver,
so is a word skillfully spoken.
12 Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold,
so is a wise reprover to the ear of the one who listens.
13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest,
so is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
for he refreshes the heart of his masters.
14 Like cloudy skies and wind that produce no rain,
so is the one who boasts of a gift not given.
15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,
and a soft tongue can break a bone.
16 You have found honey—eat only what is sufficient for you,
lest you become stuffed with it and vomit it up.
17 Don’t set foot too frequently in your neighbor’s house,
lest he become weary of you and hate you.
18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow,
so is the one who testifies against his neighbor as a false witness.
19 Like a bad tooth or a foot out of joint,
so is confidence in an unfaithful person at the time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day
or like vinegar poured on soda,
so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
22 for you will heap coals of fire on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings forth rain,
and a gossiping tongue brings forth an angry look.
24 It is better to live on a corner of the housetop
than in a house in company with a quarrelsome wife.
25 Like cold water to a weary person,
so is good news from a distant land.
26 Like a muddied spring and a polluted well,
so is a righteous person who gives way before the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat too much honey,
nor is it honorable for people to seek their own glory.
28 Like a city that is broken down and without a wall,
so is a person who cannot control his temper.
26 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
so honor is not fitting for a fool.
2 Like a fluttering bird or like a flying swallow,
so a curse without cause does not come to rest.
3 A whip for the horse and a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the backs of fools!
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
lest you yourself also be like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
lest he be wise in his own opinion.
6 Like cutting off the feet or drinking violence,
so is sending a message by the hand of a fool.
7 Like legs dangle uselessly from the lame,
so a proverb dangles in the mouth of fools.
8 Like tying a stone in a sling,
so is giving honor to a fool.
9 Like a thorn has gone up into the hand of a drunkard,
so a proverb has gone up into the mouth of a fool.
10 Like an archer who wounds at random,
so is the one who hires a fool or hires any passerby.
11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit,
so a fool repeats his folly.
12 You have seen a man wise in his own opinion—
there is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 The sluggard has said, “There is a lion in the road!
A lion in the streets!”
14 Like a door that turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed.
15 The sluggard has plunged his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16 The sluggard is wiser in his own opinion
than seven people who respond with good sense.
17 Like one who grabs a wild dog by the ears,
so is the person passing by who becomes furious over a quarrel not his own.
18 Like a madman who shoots
firebrands and deadly arrows,
19 so is a person who has deceived his neighbor,
and said, “Was I not only joking?”
20 Where there is no wood, a fire goes out,
and where there is no gossip, contention ceases.
21 Like charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire,
so is a contentious person to kindle strife.
22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
and they have gone down into a person’s innermost being.
23 Like a coating of glaze over earthenware
are fervent lips with an evil heart.
24 The one who hates others disguises it with his lips,
but he stores up deceit within him.
25 When he speaks graciously, do not believe him,
for there are seven abominations within him.
26 Though his hatred may be concealed by deceit,
his evil will be uncovered in the assembly.
27 The one who digs a pit will fall into it;
the one who rolls a stone—it will come back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates those crushed by it,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.
27 Do not boast about tomorrow;
for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
someone else, and not your own lips.
3 A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,
but vexation by a fool is more burdensome than the two of them.
4 Wrath is cruel and anger is overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy?
5 Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.
7 The one whose appetite is satisfied loathes honey,
but to the hungry mouth every bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a bird that wanders from its nest,
so is a person who wanders from his home.
9 Ointment and incense make the heart rejoice,
likewise the sweetness of one’s friend from sincere counsel.
10 Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend,
and do not enter your brother’s house in the day of your disaster;
a neighbor nearby is better than a brother far away.
11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,
so that I may answer anyone who taunts me.
12 A shrewd person saw danger—he hid himself;
the naive passed right on by— they had to pay for it.
13 Take a man’s garment when he has given security for a stranger,
and hold him in pledge on behalf of a stranger.
14 If someone blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning,
it will be counted as a curse to him.
15 A continual dripping on a rainy day—
a contentious wife makes herself like that.
16 Whoever contains her has contained the wind
or can grasp oil with his right hand.
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so a person sharpens his friend.
18 The one who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and whoever takes care of his master will be honored.
19 As in water the face is reflected as a face,
so a person’s heart reflects the person.
20 As Death and Destruction are never satisfied,
so the eyes of a person are never satisfied.
21 As the crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold,
so a person must put his praise to the test.
22 If you should pound the fool in the mortar
among the grain with the pestle,
his foolishness would not depart from him.
23 Pay careful attention to the condition of your flocks,
set your mind on your herds,
24 for riches do not last forever,
nor does a crown last from generation to generation.
25 When the hay is removed and new grass appears,
and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
26 the lambs will be for your clothing,
and the goats will be for the price of a field.
27 And there will be enough goat’s milk for your food,
for the food of your household,
and for the sustenance of your servant girls.