Proverbs 25-26
New American Standard Bible
Similitudes and Instructions
25 These also are (A)proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.
2 It is the glory of God to (B)conceal a matter,
But the glory of (C)kings is to search out a matter.
3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the [a](D)impurities from the silver,
And there comes out a vessel for the (E)smith;
5 Take away the (F)wicked before the king,
And his (G)throne will be established in righteousness.
6 Do not boast in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the same place [b]as great people;
7 For (H)it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.
8 Do not go out (I)hastily to [c]argue your case;
[d]Otherwise, what will you do in [e]the end,
When your neighbor humiliates you?
9 [f](J)Argue your case with your neighbor,
And (K)do not reveal the secret of another,
10 Or one who hears it will put you to shame,
And the evil report about you will not [g]pass away.
11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver,
Is a (L)word spoken at [h]the proper time.
12 Like [i]an (M)earring of gold and a (N)jewelry piece of (O)fine gold,
Is a wise person who offers rebukes to a (P)listening ear.
13 Like the cold of snow in the [j]time of harvest
Is a (Q)faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 Like (R)clouds and (S)wind without rain
Is a person who boasts [k]of his gifts falsely.
15 Through [l](T)patience a ruler may be persuaded,
And a gentle tongue breaks bone.
16 Have you (U)found honey? Eat only [m]what you need,
So that you do not have it in excess and vomit it.
17 Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house,
Or he will become [n]weary of you and hate you.
18 Like a club, a (V)sword, and a sharp (W)arrow
Is a person who gives (X)false testimony against his neighbor.
19 Like a bad tooth and [o]an unsteady foot
Is confidence in a (Y)treacherous person in time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on [p]soda,
Is one who sings songs to [q]a troubled heart.
21 (Z)If [r]your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For you will [s]heap burning coals on his head,
And (AA)the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings rain,
And a [t](AB)gossiping tongue brings an angry face.
24 It is (AC)better to live on a corner of the roof,
Than [u]in a house shared with a contentious woman.
25 Like cold water to a weary soul,
So is (AD)good news from a distant land.
26 Like a (AE)trampled spring and a [v]polluted well,
So is a righteous person who gives way before the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat much honey,
Nor is it glory to (AF)search out [w]one’s own glory.
28 Like a (AG)city that is broken into and without walls
So is a person (AH)who has no self-control over his spirit.
Similitudes and Instructions
26 Like snow in summer and like (AI)rain in harvest,
So honor is not (AJ)fitting for a fool.
2 Like a (AK)sparrow in its [x]flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
So a (AL)curse without cause does not come to rest.
3 A (AM)whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
And a (AN)rod for the back of fools.
4 (AO)Do not answer a fool [y]according to his foolishness,
Or you will also be like him.
5 (AP)Answer a fool as his foolishness deserves,
So that he will not be (AQ)wise in his own eyes.
6 One who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Chops off his own feet and drinks violence.
7 Like [z]useless legs to one who cannot walk,
So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
8 Like [aa]one who binds a stone in a sling,
So is one who gives honor to a fool.
9 Like a thorn that [ab]sticks in the hand of a heavy drinker,
So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
10 [ac]Like an archer who wounds everyone,
So is one who hires a fool or hires those who pass by.
11 Like (AR)a dog that returns to its vomit,
So is a fool who (AS)repeats [ad]his foolishness.
12 Do you see a person (AT)wise in his own eyes?
(AU)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 [ae]A (AV)lazy one says, “There is a lion on the road!
A lion is [af]in the public square!”
14 As the door turns on its hinges,
So does a (AW)lazy one on his bed.
15 A (AX)lazy one buries his hand in the dish;
He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.
16 A lazy one is (AY)wiser in his own eyes
Than seven people who can [ag]give a discreet answer.
17 Like one who takes a dog by the ears,
So is one who passes by and [ah]meddles with (AZ)strife not belonging to him.
18 Like a maniac who shoots
(BA)Flaming arrows, arrows, and death,
19 So is a person who (BB)deceives his neighbor,
And says, “(BC)Was I not joking?”
20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no (BD)gossiper, (BE)quarreling quiets down.
21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a (BF)contentious person to kindle strife.
22 The (BG)words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the [ai]innermost parts of the body.
23 Like an earthenware (BH)vessel overlaid with silver [aj](BI)impurities
Are burning lips and a wicked heart.
24 One who (BJ)hates disguises it with his lips,
But he harbors (BK)deceit in his [ak]heart.
25 When [al]he (BL)speaks graciously, do not believe him,
Because there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 Though his hatred (BM)covers itself with deception,
His wickedness will be (BN)revealed in the assembly.
27 One who (BO)digs a pit will fall into it,
And one who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates [am]those it crushes,
And a (BP)flattering mouth works ruin.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 25:4 Lit dross
- Proverbs 25:6 Lit of
- Proverbs 25:8 Lit contend
- Proverbs 25:8 Lit Lest
- Proverbs 25:8 Lit its
- Proverbs 25:9 Lit Contend
- Proverbs 25:10 Lit return
- Proverbs 25:11 Lit its time
- Proverbs 25:12 Or a nose ring
- Proverbs 25:13 Lit day
- Proverbs 25:14 Lit in a gift of falsehood
- Proverbs 25:15 Lit length of anger
- Proverbs 25:16 Lit your sufficiency
- Proverbs 25:17 Lit surfeited with
- Proverbs 25:19 Lit a slipping foot
- Proverbs 25:20 I.e., natron
- Proverbs 25:20 Lit an evil
- Proverbs 25:21 Lit one who hates you
- Proverbs 25:22 Lit snatch up
- Proverbs 25:23 Lit tongue of secrecy
- Proverbs 25:24 Lit with a woman of contentions and a house of association
- Proverbs 25:26 Lit ruined
- Proverbs 25:27 Lit their
- Proverbs 26:2 Lit wandering
- Proverbs 26:4 I.e., taking his question or argument seriously
- Proverbs 26:7 Lit legs that dangle from one paralyzed
- Proverbs 26:8 Lit the binding of
- Proverbs 26:9 Lit goes up
- Proverbs 26:10 Or A master workman produces all things, But one who hires a fool is like one who hires those who pass by
- Proverbs 26:11 Lit with his
- Proverbs 26:13 Lit an idle, and so throughout the ch
- Proverbs 26:13 Lit within
- Proverbs 26:16 Lit return discreetly
- Proverbs 26:17 Lit infuriates himself
- Proverbs 26:22 Lit chambers of the belly
- Proverbs 26:23 Lit dross
- Proverbs 26:24 Lit inward part
- Proverbs 26:25 Lit his voice is gracious
- Proverbs 26:28 Lit its crushed ones
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