Proverbs 25

Wycliffe Bible

25 Also these be the Parables of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, translated.

² The glory of God is to cover a word; and the glory of kings is to seek out a word. (The glory of God be those things which he hath hidden; and the glory of kings is to search them out.)

³ Heaven above, and the earth beneath, and the heart of kings is unsearchable. (The heavens be above, and the earth is beneath, and a king’s heart is unsearchable.)

⁴ Do thou away rust from silver, and a full clean vessel shall go out.

⁵ Do thou away unpiety from the cheer of the king (Take thou away wicked persons from before the king), and his throne shall be made steadfast by rightfulness.

⁶ Appear thou not glorious before the king, and stand thou not in the place of great men.

⁷ For it is better, that it be said to thee, Ascend thou hither (Come thou up here), than that thou be made low before the prince.

⁸ Bring thou not forth soon those things in strife, which thine eyes saw; lest afterward thou mayest not amend, when thou hast made thy friend unhonest. (Bring thou not soon forth those things in strife, or an argument, which thine eyes saw; lest afterward thou cannot correct it, when thou hast dishonoured thy friend.)

⁹ Treat thy cause with thy friend, and show thou not (a) private (matter) to a strange man;

¹⁰ lest peradventure he have joy of thy fall (lest perhaps he have joy over thy fall), when he hath heard (of it), and cease not to do shame to thee.

¹¹ (As) A golden pommel in beds of silver is he, that speaketh a word in his time. (Like a golden apple in beds of silver, is a word spoken at its proper time.)

¹² (As) A golden earring, and a shining pearl is he, that reproveth a wise man, and an ear obeying. (Like a golden earring, and a shining pearl, is a wise person who rebuketh someone with an obedient ear.)

¹³ As the cold of snow in the day of harvest, so a faithful messenger to him that sent him, maketh his soul to have rest. (Like the cold of snow on the day of harvest, is a faithful messenger to him who sent him, for he maketh his soul to have rest.)

¹⁴ (As) A cloud and wind, and (then) rain not following, is a glorious man, and not [ful]filling promises. (Like a cloud and wind, but then rain not following, is a honourable person who fulfilleth not his promises.)

¹⁵ A prince shall be made soft by patience; and a soft tongue shall break hardness.

¹⁶ Thou hast found honey, eat thou (only) that that sufficeth to thee; lest peradventure thou be (over-)filled, and spew it out.

¹⁷ Withdraw thy foot from the house of thy neighbour; lest sometime he be filled (of thee), that is, annoyed (by thee), and hate thee.

¹⁸ (Like) A dart, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, (is) a man that speaketh false witnessing against his neighbour.

¹⁹ (As) A rotten tooth, and a faint foot is he, that hopeth on an unfaithful man in the day of anguish, (Like a rotten tooth, and a faint foot, is he, who hopeth on, or trusteth in, an unfaithful person on his day of anguish.)

²⁰ and loseth his mantle in the day of cold. Vinegar in a vessel of salt is he, that singeth songs to the worst heart. As a moth harmeth a cloth, and a worm harmeth a tree, so the sorrow of a man harmeth the heart. (Like him who taketh away a mantle on a cold day, and like vinegar in a vessel of salt, is he who singeth songs to an aggrieved heart. Like a moth harmeth a cloak, and a worm harmeth a tree, so a person’s sorrow harmeth his heart.)

²¹ If thine enemy hungereth, feed thou him; if he thirsteth, give thou him water to drink;

²² for thou shalt gather together coals on his head; and the Lord shall yield to thee. (for thou shalt gather together coals upon his head; and the Lord shall reward thee.)

²³ The north wind scattereth abroad rains; and a sorrowful face destroyeth a tongue backbiting. (Like the north wind scattereth rains abroad; so an angry look destroyeth a backbiting tongue.)

²⁴ It is better to sit in the corner of an house without [a] roof, than with a woman full of chiding, and in a common house. (It is better to sit in the corner of a house without a roof, than to be with a woman full of arguments, or of bickering, in a house together.)

²⁵ Cold water to a thirsty man; and a good messenger from a far land. (Like cold water to a thirsty man, is good news from a far land.)

²⁶ (As) A well disturbed with foot, and a vein broken, (is) a just man falling before a wicked man. (Like a well disturbed with a foot, and a broken fountain, is the righteous falling before the wicked.)

²⁷ As it is not good to him that eateth much honey; so he that is a searcher of majesty, shall be put down from glory. (Like it is not good for him who eateth too much honey; so he who seeketh his own glory, shall be brought down from his place of honour.)

²⁸ As a city open, and without compass of walls; so is a man that may not refrain his spirit in speaking. (Like a city that is open, and without any walls surrounding it, is a man who cannot refrain his own spirit from speaking.)