Proverbs 25
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
25 These are also parables of Solomon, which the men of Ezechias king of Juda copied out.
2 It is the glory of God to conceal the word, and the glory of kings to search out the speech.
3 The heaven above, and the earth beneath, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the rust from silver, and there shall come forth a most pure vessel:
5 Take away wickedness from the face of the king, and his throne shall be established with justice.
6 Appear not glorious before the king, and stand not in the place of great men.
7 For it is better that it should be said to thee: Come up hither; than that thou shouldst be humbled before the prince.
8 The things which thy eyes have seen, utter not hastily in a quarrel: lest afterward thou mayst not be able to make amends, when thou hast dishonoured thy friend.
9 Treat thy cause with thy friend, and discover not the secret to a stranger:
10 Lest he insult over thee, when he hath heard it, and cease not to upbraid thee. Grace and friendship deliver a man: keep these for thyself, lest thou fall under reproach.
11 To speak a word in due time, is like apples of gold on beds of silver.
12 As an earring of gold and a bright pearl, so is he that reproveth the wise, and the obedient ear.
13 As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to him that sent him, for he refresheth his soul.
14 As clouds, and wind, when no rain followeth, so is the man that boasteth, and doth not fulfill his promises.
15 By patience a prince shall be appeased, and a soft tongue shall break hardness.
16 Thou hast found honey, eat what is sufficient for thee, lest being glutted therewith thou vomit it up.
17 Withdraw thy foot from the house of thy neighbour, lest having his fill he hate thee.
18 A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour, is like a dart and a sword and a sharp arrow.
19 To trust to an unfaithful man in the time of trouble, is like a rotten tooth, and weary foot,
20 And one that looseth his garment in cold weather. As vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to a very evil heart. As a moth doth by a garment, and a worm by the wood: so the sadness of a man consumeth the heart.
21 If thy enemy be hungry, give him to eat: if he thirst, give him water to drink:
22 For thou shalt heap hot coals upon his head, and the Lord will reward thee.
23 The north wind driveth away rain, as doth a sad countenance a backbiting tongue.
24 It is better to sit in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman, and in a common house.
25 As cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good tidings from a far country.
26 A just man falling down before the wicked, is as a fountain troubled with the foot, and a corrupted spring.
27 As it is not good for a man to eat much honey, so he that is a searcher of majesty, shall be overwhelmed by glory.
28 As a city that lieth open and is not compassed with walls, so is a man that cannot refrain his own spirit in speaking.
Proverbs 25
New International Reader's Version
More Proverbs of Solomon
25 These are more proverbs of Solomon. They were gathered together by the men of Hezekiah, the king of Judah.
2 When God hides a matter, he gets glory.
When kings figure out a matter, they get glory.
3 The heavens are high and the earth is deep.
In the same way, the minds of kings are impossible to figure out.
4 Remove the scum from the silver.
Then the master worker can make something out of it.
5 Remove ungodly officials from where the king is.
Then the king can make his throne secure because of the godliness around him.
6 Don’t brag in front of the king.
Don’t claim a place among his great men.
7 Let the king say to you, “Come up here.”
That’s better than for him to shame you in front of his nobles.
What you have seen with your own eyes
8 don’t bring too quickly to court.
What will you do in the end
if your neighbor puts you to shame?
9 If you take your neighbor to court,
don’t tell others any secrets you promised to keep.
10 If you do, someone might hear it and put you to shame.
And the charge against you will stand.
11 The right ruling at the right time
is like golden apples in silver jewelry.
12 A wise judge’s warning to a listening ear
is like a gold earring or jewelry made of fine gold.
13 A messenger trusted by the one who sends him
is like a drink cooled by snow at harvest time.
He renews the spirit of his master.
14 A person who brags about gifts never given
is like wind and clouds that don’t produce rain.
15 If you are patient, you can win an official over to your side.
And gentle words can break a bone.
16 If you find honey, eat just enough.
If you eat too much of it, you will throw up.
17 Don’t go to your neighbor’s home very often.
If they see too much of you, they will hate you.
18 A person who is a false witness against a neighbor
is like a club, a sword or a sharp arrow.
19 Trusting someone who is not faithful when trouble comes
is like a broken tooth or a disabled foot.
20 You may sing songs to a troubled heart.
But that’s like taking a coat away on a cold day.
It’s like pouring vinegar on a wound.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat.
If he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22 By doing these things, you will pile up burning coals on his head.
And the Lord will reward you.
23 Like a north wind that brings rain you didn’t expect
is a crafty tongue that brings looks of shock.
24 It is better to live on a corner of a roof
than to share a house with a nagging wife.
25 Hearing good news from a land far away
is like drinking cold water when you are tired.
26 Sometimes godly people give in to those who are evil.
Then they become like a muddy spring of water or a polluted well.
27 It isn’t good for you to eat too much honey.
And you shouldn’t try to search out matters too deep for you.
28 A person without self-control
is like a city whose walls are broken through.
Proverbs 25
Expanded Bible
More Wise Sayings of Solomon
25 These are more ·wise sayings [proverbs] of Solomon [1:1; 10:1], copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah [C ruled 727–698 bc; 2 Kin. 18–20; 2 Chr. 29–32; Is. 36–39].
2 ·God is honored for what he keeps secret [L It is the glory of God to hide a matter/things; Deut. 29:29].
·Kings are honored for what they can discover [L It is the glory of kings to examine them].
3 No one can ·measure [examine] the height of the skies or the depth of the earth.
So also no one can ·understand [examine] the ·mind [L heart] of a king.
4 ·Remove [Separate] the ·scum [dross] from the silver,
so ·the silver can be used by the silversmith [L a vessel will come out for refining].
5 ·Remove [Separate] wicked people from the king’s presence;
then his ·government [L throne] will be ·honest and last a long time [L established in righteousness].
6 Don’t ·brag [honor yourself] to the king
and ·act as if you are great [L don’t stand in the place of important people].
7 It is better for him to ·give you a higher position [L say to you, “Come up here”]
than to bring you down in front of the prince [Luke 14:7–11].
Because of something you have seen,
8 do not quickly take someone to court.
What will you do later
when your neighbor ·proves you wrong [L humiliates/shames you]?
9 ·If you have an argument with [L Make your accusations against] your neighbor,
·don’t tell other people what was said [keep it a secret from others].
10 Whoever hears it might shame you,
and ·you might not ever be respected again [L the slander against you will never stop].
11 The right word spoken at the right time
is as beautiful as gold apples in a silver ·bowl [L setting].
12 A wise ·warning [correction] to ·someone who will listen [L a listening ear]
is as valuable as gold earrings or fine gold jewelry.
13 Trustworthy messengers refresh those who send them,
like the coolness of snow ·in the summertime [L at harvest time].
14 People who brag about gifts they never give
are like clouds and wind that give no rain.
15 With patience you can convince a ruler,
and a ·gentle [tender] word ·can get through to the hard-headed [L breaks bone].
16 If you find honey, ·don’t eat too much [eat the right amount],
or it will make you full and you will throw up.
17 ·Don’t go to your neighbor’s house too often [L Rarely let your feet step into your neighbor’s house];
·too much of you will make him [L they will have their fill of you and] hate you.
18 When you ·lie [falsely testify] about your neighbors [Ex. 20:16],
it hurts them as much as a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.
19 Trusting unfaithful people ·when you are in [L on a day of] trouble
is like eating with a broken tooth or walking with a crippled foot.
20 Singing songs to ·someone who is sad [L a troubled heart]
is like taking away his coat on a cold day
or pouring vinegar on soda [C sodium bicarbonate; mixing the two would cause an adverse reaction; the Greek Old Testament reads “scab” or “wound” instead of “soda”].
21 If ·your enemy [L one you hate] is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him a drink.
22 Doing this will be like pouring burning coals on his head,
and the Lord will reward you [Rom. 12:19–21].
23 As the north wind brings rain,
·telling gossip [L a hidden tongue] brings angry looks.
24 It is better to live in a corner on the roof [21:9]
than inside the house with a ·quarreling [contentious] wife.
25 Good news from a faraway place
is like a cool drink when you are tired.
26 A good person who ·gives in to [staggers before] evil
is like a ·muddy [foul] spring or a ·dirty [ruined] well.
27 It is not good to eat too much honey,
nor does it bring you honor to ·brag about yourself [seek honor].
28 Those who ·do not control themselves [are unrestrained in spirit]
are like a city whose walls are broken down.
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