Proverbs 25
1 These too 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 the glory of kings to investigate a matter.
3 As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated.
4 Remove impurities from silver, and material will be produced for a silversmith.
5 Remove the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
6 Don’t boast about yourself before the king, and don’t stand in the place of the great;
7 for it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here!” than to demote you in plain view of a noble.
8 Don’t take a matter to court hastily. Otherwise, what will you do afterward if your opponent humiliates you?
9 Make your case with your opponent without revealing another’s secret;
10 otherwise, the one who hears will disgrace you, and you’ll never live it down.
11 A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples in silver settings.
12 A wise correction to a receptive ear is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.
13 To those who send him, a trustworthy envoy is like the coolness of snow on a harvest day; he refreshes the life of his masters.
14 The one who boasts about a gift that does not exist is like clouds and wind without rain.
15 A ruler can be persuaded through patience, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
16 If you find honey, eat only what you need; otherwise, you’ll get sick from it and vomit.
17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house; otherwise, he’ll get sick of you and hate you.
18 A person giving false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.
19 Trusting an unreliable person in a difficult time is like a rotten tooth or a faltering foot.
20 Singing songs to a troubled heart is like taking off clothing on a cold day or like pouring vinegar on soda.
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 burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.
23 The north wind produces rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.
24 Better to live on the corner of a roof than to share a house with a nagging wife.
25 Good news from a distant land is like cold water to a parched throat.
26 A righteous person who yields to the wicked is like a muddied spring or a polluted well.
27 It is not good to eat too much honey or to seek glory after glory.
28 A person who does not control his temper is like a city whose wall is broken down.