Proverbs 25

¹ These also are the proverbs of Solomon,
which the men of King Hezekiah of Judah compiled. ^[1]

² It brings glory to God to hide a matter,
but it brings glory to kings to investigate a matter.
³ As heaven is high and earth is deep,
so there is no searching the heart of kings.

⁴ Remove impurities from silver,
and a vessel can be cast by a silversmith.
⁵ Remove a wicked person from a king’s presence,
and his throne will be established with righteousness.

⁶ Do not honor yourself in a king’s presence.
Do not stand in a place reserved for great people,
⁷ because it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
than for you to be humiliated before a ruler
    whom your eyes have seen. ^[2]

⁸ Do not be in a hurry to go to court.
Otherwise, what will you do afterward,
when your neighbor humiliates you?
⁹ Argue your case with your neighbor,
but do not reveal someone else’s secret.
¹⁰ If you do, the person who hears it will shame you,
and your bad reputation will never leave you.

¹¹ A word spoken at the right time
    is like golden apples in silver settings.
¹² To ears that listen, a wise person’s correction
    is like a gold ring or like jewelry made of pure gold.
¹³ To those who send him, a trustworthy messenger
    is like cooling snow on a warm day during harvest.
He refreshes his masters’ spirits.
¹⁴ A person who brags about a gift that is never given
    is like clouds and wind that bring no rain.
¹⁵ By patience a ruler can be persuaded,
and a soft tongue can break a bone.
¹⁶ When you find honey, eat only what you need.
Otherwise you will be filled with it and vomit it up.
¹⁷ Do not set foot in your neighbor’s house too often.
If you do, he will have too much of you and hate you.
¹⁸ A person who gives false testimony against his neighbor
    is a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.
¹⁹ Confidence in an unfaithful person during a time of crisis
    is like a broken tooth or a lame foot.
²⁰ Singing songs to a despondent heart
    is like taking off a coat on a cold day
    or like vinegar on baking soda.
²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat.
If he is thirsty, give him something to drink,
²² because you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the Lord will repay you.
²³ A north wind gives birth to rain,
and a whispering tongue gives birth to angry faces.
²⁴ Better to live on the corner of a roof
than in a home shared with a nagging wife.
²⁵ Good news from a distant country is
like cold water for a weary soul.
²⁶ A righteous person who is swayed by the wicked
is a muddied spring or a polluted fountain.
²⁷ Eating too much honey is not good,
and people seeking their own glory is not glorious. ^[3]
28 A person who lacks self-control
is like a broken-down city without a wall.

Proverbs 26

¹ Like snow during summer and rain during the harvest,
so honor is not appropriate for a fool.
² Like a migrating bird or a flying swallow,
so an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
³ A whip is for horses, a bridle for donkeys,
and a rod for the backs of fools.

⁴ Do not answer a fool according to his folly.
If you do, you yourself will become like him.
⁵ Answer a fool according to his folly.
If you do not, he will consider himself wise.

⁶ It is like cutting off your own feet or drinking violence ^[4]
when a person sends messages in the hand of a fool.
⁷ The legs of a lame person dangle.
So does a proverb in the mouth of fools.
⁸ Giving honor to a fool is
    like tying a stone in a slingshot.
⁹ A proverb in the mouth of a fool
    is like a thorn in a drunkard’s hand.
¹⁰ One who hires a fool or someone just passing by
    is like an archer who wounds at random. ^[5]
11 As a dog returns to his vomit,
so a fool repeats his stupidity.
¹² Have you seen a person who is wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.