- 25:1These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah the king of Judah copied.
- 25:2It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, / But the glory of kings is to search a matter out.
- 25:3As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, / So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
- 25:4Take away the dross from the silver, / And a vessel comes out for the smith;
- 25:5Take away the wicked man from before the king, / And his throne will be established in righteousness.
- 25:6Do not claim honor for yourself in the presence of the king, / And do not stand in the place of great men;
- 25:7For it is better that it is said to you, Come up here, / Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the noble, / Whom your eyes have seen.
- 25:8Do not go out hastily to strive; / Otherwise what will you do in the end, / When your neighbor puts you to shame?
- 25:9Argue your case with your neighbor himself, / And do not reveal the secret of another;
- 25:10Lest he who hears it revile you, / And the evil report of you does not go away.
- 25:11A word fitly spoken / Is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
- 25:12Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold / Is a wise reprover to a listening ear.
- 25:13Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest / Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, / For he refreshes the soul of his masters.
- 25:14Like clouds and wind without rain / Is one who boasts of his gifts falsely.
- 25:15By forbearance a ruler may be persuaded, / And a soft tongue can break the bone.
- 25:16Have you found honey? Eat only what you need, / Lest you become filled up with it and vomit it.
- 25:17Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house, / Otherwise he will become weary of you and hate you.
- 25:18A man who bears false witness against his neighbor / Is like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow.
- 25:19Confidence in a treacherous man in time of trouble / Is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.
- 25:20He who sings songs to a troubled heart / Is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, / Or like vinegar on soda.
- 25:21If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; / And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
- 25:22For you will heap coals of fire upon his head, / And Jehovah will reward you.
- 25:23The north wind brings forth rain; / And a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.
- 25:24It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop / Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
- 25:25Like cold water to a thirsty soul, / So is good news from a far country.
- 25:26Like a muddied fountain and a polluted spring / Is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked man.
- 25:27It is not good to eat much honey, / Nor is it glory for men to search out their own glory.
- 25:28Like a city that is broken down, without walls, / Is a man whose spirit is without restraint.
- 26:1Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest, / So honor is not fitting for a fool.
- 26:2Like the sparrow in its fluttering, like the swallow in its flying, / So a curse without cause does not alight.
- 26:3A whip for the horse! A bridle for the donkey! / And a rod for the back of fools!
- 26:4Do not answer a fool according to his folly, / Lest you also be like him.
- 26:5Answer a fool according to his folly, / Lest he be wise in his own eyes.
- 26:6He who sends a message by the hand of a fool / Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
- 26:7Like the legs of the lame which hang down, / So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
- 26:8Like one who binds a stone in a sling, / So is he who gives honor to a fool.
- 26:9Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard, / So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
- 26:10Like an archer who wounds everyone, / So is he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by.
- 26:11Like a dog that returns to its vomit / Is a fool who repeats his folly.
- 26:12Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? / There is more hope for a fool than for him.
- 26:13The sluggard says, There is a roaring lion on the way; / A lion is in the streets!
- 26:14As the door turns upon its hinges, / So does the sluggard upon his bed.
- 26:15The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; / He gets weary by bringing it to his mouth again.
- 26:16The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes / Than seven men who can answer discreetly.
- 26:17He who passes by and meddles with strife that does not belong to him, / Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.
- 26:18Like a madman who shoots firebrands, arrows, and death,
- 26:19So is the man who deceives his neighbor, / And says, Was I not joking?
- 26:20For lack of wood the fire goes out, / And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.
- 26:21As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, / So is a contentious man to kindle strife.
- 26:22The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, / And they go down into the innermost parts of one's being.
- 26:23Burning lips and a wicked heart / Are like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross.
- 26:24He who hates disguises it with his lips, / But he lays up deceit within him;
- 26:25When he speaks graciously, do not believe him; / For there are seven abominations in his heart;
- 26:26Though his hatred covers itself with guile, / His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.
- 26:27Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, / And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
- 26:28A lying tongue hates those it crushes, / And a flattering mouth works ruin.