Old/New Testament
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.)
26 As snow in summer, and rain in harvest; so glory is unseemly to a fool. (Like snow in summer, and rain at harvest; so glory is unbecoming to a fool.)
2 For as a bird flying over to high things, and as a sparrow going into uncertain; so cursing brought forth without reasonable cause shall come above into some man. (Like a bird flying over to high places, and like a sparrow going into uncertainty; so cursing brought forth without a reasonable cause, shall simply go over someone, and not touch them.)
3 Beating be to an horse, and a bridle to an ass; and a rod to the back of unprudent men.
4 Answer thou not to a fool after his folly, lest thou be made like him.
5 Answer thou (to) a fool after his folly, lest he seem to himself to be wise (lest he thinketh himself to be wise).
6 (As) An halting man in feet, and drinking wickedness, that is, drink harmful to himself, (is) he that sendeth words by a fond messenger. (Like a person who is lame, and like someone who drinketh a drink that is harmful to himself, is he who sendeth words by a foolish messenger.)
7 As an halting man hath fair legs in vain; so a parable is unseemly in the mouth of fools.
8 As he that sendeth a stone into the broad place of the sling; so he that giveth honour to an unwise man. (Like he who sendeth a stone into the broad place of a sling, is he who giveth honour to an unwise person.)
9 As if a thorn groweth in the hand of a drunken man; so is a parable in the mouth of fools. (Like a thorn that groweth in the hand of a drunk, is a parable in the mouth of a fool.)
10 Doom determineth causes; and he that setteth silence to a fool, assuageth ires. (Judgement decideth a person’s case; and he who telleth a fool to be silent, lesseneth anger.)
11 As a dog that turneth again to his spewing [As an hound that turneth again to his vomit]; so is an unprudent man, that rehearseth his folly. (Like a dog that returneth to his vomit, is an imprudent person, who repeateth his own foolishness.)
12 Thou hast seen a man seem wise to himself; an unknowing man shall have hope more than he. (Thou hast seen a person who taketh himself to be wise; but a person without knowledge, yea, a fool, shall have more hope than him.)
13 A slow man saith, A lion is in the way, a lioness is in the footpaths. (A lazy person saith, A lion is there on the way, a lioness is there on the footpaths!)
14 As a door is turned in his hinges; so a slow man in his bed. (Like a door turning on its hinges, is a lazy person turning in his bed.)
15 A slow man hideth his hands under his armpit; and he travaileth, if he turneth them up to his mouth. (A lazy person hideth his hands under his armpit; and he laboureth, if he turneth them up to his mouth.)
16 A slow man seemeth wiser to himself, than seven men speaking sentences. (A lazy person seemeth wiser to himself, than seven people speaking forth their thoughts.)
17 As he that taketh a dog by the ears; so he that passeth, and is unpatient, and is meddled with the chiding of another man. (Like he who taketh a dog by the ears, is he who passeth by, and is impatient, and is mixed in, or mingled, with the argument of another man.)
18 As he is guilty, that sendeth spears and arrows into death, (Like he is guilty, who sendeth spears and arrows into uncertainty, causing death,)
19 so a man that harmeth guilefully his friend, and when he is taken, he shall say, I did playing. (is a person who deceitfully harmeth his friend, and when he is caught, he saith, I was just playing.)
20 When trees fail [When woods shall fail], the fire shall be quenched; and when a privy backbiter is withdrawn, strives rest. (When there is no more wood, the fire shall be quenched; and when a gossip departeth, or stoppeth speaking, the argument shall be ended.)
21 As dead coals at quick coals, and trees at the fire [As dead coals to quick coals, and wood to fire]; so a wrathful man (that) raiseth chidings. (Like dead coals to burning coals, and wood to fire, is an angry person who raiseth up arguments, or strife.)
22 The words of a privy backbiter be as simple (The words of a gossip be tasty); and those come till to the innerest things of the heart.
23 As if thou wouldest adorn a vessel of earth, (that is, a cheap pot made out of clay,) with the dross of silver, so be swelling lips fellowshipped with a full wicked heart.
24 An enemy is understood by his lips, when he treateth guiles in his heart. (An enemy can be understood by his words, when he treateth deceitfulness in his heart.)
25 (Yea,) When he maketh low his voice, believe thou not to him; for seven wickednesses be in his heart.
26 The malice of him that covereth hatred guilefully, shall be showed in a council. (The malice of one who deceitfully covereth hatred, shall be shown before the assembly.)
27 He that delveth a ditch, shall fall into it; and if a man walloweth a stone, it shall turn again (on)to him.
28 A false tongue loveth not [the] truth; and a slippery mouth worketh fallings.
9 For of the ministry that is made to holy men, it is to me of plenty to write to you.
2 For I know your [ready] will, for the which I have glory of you with Macedonians, for also Achaia is ready from a year passed, and your love hath stirred full many.
3 And we have sent brethren, that this thing that we glory of you, be not voided in this part, that as I said, ye be ready.
4 Lest when Macedonians come with me, and find you unready, we be shamed, that we say you not/that we saw you not, in this substance.
5 Therefore I guessed necessary to pray brethren, that they come before to you, and make ready this promised blessing to be ready, so as blessing, and not as avarice.
6 For I say this thing [This thing forsooth I say], he that soweth scarcely, shall also reap scarcely; and he that soweth in blessings, shall reap also of blessings.
7 Each man as he casted in his heart [Each man as he cast in his heart], not of heaviness, or of need; for God loveth a glad giver.
8 And God is mighty to make all grace abound in you, that ye in all things evermore have all sufficience, and abound into all good work [that ye, in all things evermore having all sufficience, abound into all good work];
9 as it is written, He dealed abroad, he gave to poor men, his rightwiseness dwelleth without end [his rightwiseness dwelleth into without end].
10 And he that ministereth seed to the sower, shall give also bread to eat, and he shall multiply your seed, and make much the increasings of fruits of your rightwiseness;[a]
11 that in all things ye made rich wax plenteous into all simpleness [that in all things made rich abound into all simpleness], which worketh by us doing of thankings to God.
12 For the ministry of this office not only filleth those things that fail to holy men, but also multiplieth many thankings to God [but also aboundeth by many in doing of thankings to the Lord],
13 by the proving of this ministry, which glorify God in the obedience of your acknowledging in the gospel of Christ, and in simpleness of communication into them and into all [others],
14 and in the beseeching of them for you, that desire you for the excellent grace of God in you.
15 I do thankings to God of the gift of him, that may not be told.[b]
2001 by Terence P. Noble