Proverbs 25-28
New Life Version
25 These also are wise sayings of Solomon, which were written down by the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
2 It is the greatness of God to keep things hidden, but it is the greatness of kings to find things out. 3 As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the heart of kings is more than can be known. 4 Take away the waste from the silver, and a silver pot comes out for the workman. 5 Take the sinful away from the king, and his throne will stand on what is right and good. 6 Do not honor yourself in front of the king, and do not stand in the place of great men. 7 For it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put down in front of the ruler whom your eyes have seen.
8 Do not go out in a hurry to argue. Or what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame? 9 Argue your side of the problem with your neighbor, but do not tell the secret of another. 10 Or he who hears you may put you to shame, and bad things will be said about you forever.
11 A word spoken at the right time is like fruit of gold set in silver.
12 A wise man speaking strong words to a listening ear is like a piece of gold for the ear and a beautiful object of fine gold.
13 A faithful man who carries news is like the cold of snow at gathering time to those who send him, for he makes the spirit of his owners feel new again.
14 A man who talks much of a gift he never gives is like clouds and wind without rain. 15 When one is slow to anger, a ruler may be won over. A gentle tongue will break a bone.
16 Have you found honey? Eat only what you need, or you may become filled with it and spit it up.
17 Do not let your foot be in your neighbor’s house too much, or he may become tired of you and hate you.
18 A man who tells a lie against his neighbor is like a heavy stick or a sword or a sharp arrow.
19 In time of trouble, trusting in a man who is not faithful is like a bad tooth or a foot out of joint.
20 He who sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a coat on a cold day, or like sour wine poured on soda.
21 If the one who hates you is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him water. 22 If you do that, you will be making him more ashamed of himself, and the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings rain, and a tongue that hurts people brings angry looks.
24 It is better to live in a corner of the roof than in a house shared with an arguing woman.
25 Good news from a land far away is like cold water to a tired soul.
26 A man who does what is right but gives way in front of the sinful, is like a well of mud or poisoned water.
27 It is not good to eat much honey, and looking for honor is not good.
28 A man who cannot rule his own spirit is like a city whose walls are broken down.
26 Like snow in summer and like rain at gathering time, so honor is not right for a fool.
2 Like a sparrow in its traveling, like a swallow in its flying, so bad words said against someone without reason do not come to rest.
3 A whip is for the horse, leather ropes are for the donkey, and a stick is for the back of fools.
4 Do not answer a fool by his foolish ways, or you will be like him.
5 Answer a fool in the way he has earned by his foolish acts, so he will not be wise in his own eyes.
6 He who sends a letter by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and brings trouble upon himself.
7 A wise saying in the mouth of fools is like the legs on a man who cannot walk.
8 He who gives honor to a fool is like one who ties a stone in a sling.
9 A wise saying in the mouth of fools is like a thorn that goes into the hand of a man who drinks too much.
10 He who hires a fool or hires those who pass by is like a man who uses a bow to hurt everyone.
11 A fool who does his foolish act again is like a dog that turns back to what he has thrown up.
12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the way! There is a lion in the streets!”
14 As a door turns, so does the lazy man on his bed.
15 The lazy man buries his hand in the dish. It makes him tired to bring it to his mouth again.
16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can give a wise answer.
17 He who passes by and has a part in someone else’s fight is like one who takes a dog by the ears.
18 Like a crazy man who throws pieces of burning wood and arrows of death, 19 so is the man who fools his neighbor with a lie, and says, “I was only joking.”
20 When there is no wood, the fire goes out. Where there is no one telling secret stories about people, arguing stops.
21 An arguing man makes fights worse. He is like coals to burning wood and wood to a fire.
22 The words of one who tells secret things about people are like good-tasting bites of food. They go down into the inside parts of the body.
23 Burning lips and a sinful heart are like a pot covered with silver waste.
24 He who hates covers it up with his lips, but stores up false ways in his heart. 25 When he speaks with kindness, do not believe him, for there are seven things that are hated in his heart. 26 Even if his hate is covered with false ways, his sin will be found out in front of the great meeting.
27 He who digs a deep hole will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it return upon him.
28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a mouth that speaks false words destroys.
27 Do not talk much about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day will bring.
2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth. Let a stranger, and not your own lips.
3 A stone is heavy, and sand is heavy, but to be made angry by a fool weighs more than both of them.
4 Anger causes trouble and a bad temper is like a flood, but who can stand when there is jealousy?
5 Sharp words spoken in the open are better than love that is hidden.
6 The pains given by a friend are faithful, but the kisses of one who hates you are false.
7 He who is full hates honey, but any bitter thing is sweet to a hungry man.
8 Like a bird that goes away from her nest, so is a man who goes away from his home.
9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad, so are a man’s words sweet to his friend.
10 Do not leave your own friend or your father’s friend alone, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your trouble. A neighbor who is near is better than a brother who is far away.
11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, so I may answer him who puts me to shame.
12 A wise man sees sin and hides himself, but the fool goes on and suffers for it.
13 Take the man’s coat who has given himself as trust for what a stranger owes. And hold him to his promise who has given it as trust for a sinful woman.
14 He who praises his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning will be thought of as saying bad things against him.
15 An arguing woman is like water falling drop by drop on a day it is raining. 16 To try to stop her is like trying to stop the wind, or like trying to catch oil in his right hand.
17 Iron is made sharp with iron, and one man is made sharp by a friend.
18 He who cares for the fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who cares for the one he works for will be honored.
19 As water acts as a mirror to a face, so the heart of man acts as a mirror to a man.
20 The place of the dead is never filled, and the eyes of man are never filled.
21 The melting-pot is for silver and the fire for gold, and a man is tested by the praise he receives.
22 Even if you crush a fool in a pot used for crushing grain, his foolish way will not leave him.
23 Know well how your flocks are doing, and keep your mind on your cattle. 24 Riches do not last forever, and a crown does not pass from family to family. 25 When the grass is gone, the new plants are seen, and the plants of the mountains are gathered in. 26 The lambs will be for your clothes, and the goats will bring the price of a field. 27 There will be enough goats’ milk for your food, for the food of all your house, and a living for your young women.
28 The sinful run away when no one is trying to catch them, but those who are right with God have as much strength of heart as a lion.
2 When a nation sins, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and much learning, it will last a long time.
3 A poor man who makes it hard for the poor is like a heavy rain which leaves no food.
4 Those who turn away from the law praise the sinful, but those who keep the law fight against them.
5 Sinful men do not understand what is right and fair, but those who look to the Lord understand all things.
6 A poor man who walks in his honor is better than a rich man who is sinful in his ways.
7 He who keeps the law is a wise son, but a friend of men who eat too much puts his father to shame.
8 He who gets money by being paid much for the use of it, gathers it for him who will be kind to the poor.
9 He who turns his ear away from listening to the law, even his prayer is a hated thing.
10 He who leads good people into a sinful way will fall into his own deep hole, but good will come to those without blame.
11 The rich man is wise in his own eyes, but the poor man who has understanding sees through him.
12 When those who are right with God win, there is great honor, but when the sinful rule, men hide themselves.
13 It will not go well for the man who hides his sins, but he who tells his sins and turns from them will be given loving-pity.
14 Happy is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who makes his heart hard will fall into trouble.
15 A sinful ruler over poor people is like a lion making noise or a bear running to fight.
16 A ruler who takes much from the people who have little does not have understanding. But he who hates wanting something that belongs to someone else will live a long time.
17 A man who is loaded down with the guilt of human blood will run in fear until death. Let no one help him.
18 He who walks without blame will be kept safe, but he who is sinful will fall all at once.
19 He who works his land will have more than enough food, but he who wastes his time will become very poor.
20 A faithful man will have many good things, but he who hurries to be rich will be punished for it.
21 To show favor is not good, because a man will sin for a piece of bread.
22 A man with a sinful eye hurries to be rich. He does not know that he will be in need.
23 He who speaks strong words to a man will later find more favor than he who gives false respect with his tongue.
24 He who robs his father or his mother, and says, “It is not a sin,” is the friend of a man who destroys.
25 A proud man starts fights, but all will go well for the man who trusts in the Lord.
26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be kept safe.
27 He who gives to the poor will never want, but many bad things will happen to the man who shuts his eyes to the poor.
28 When the sinful rule, men hide themselves, but when they pass away, those who do what is right become many.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.