Proverbs 25

Hezekiah’s Collection

¹These too are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of King Hezekiah of Judah copied.²

³It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.⁴

⁵As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated.⁶

⁷Remove impurities from silver, and material will be produced for a silversmith.⁸

⁹Remove the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.¹⁰

¹¹Don’t boast about yourself before the king, and don’t stand in the place of the great;¹²

¹³for it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here!” than to demote you in plain view of a noble.¹⁴

¹⁵Don’t take a matter to court hastily. Otherwise, what will you do afterward if your opponent humiliates you?¹⁶

¹⁷Make your case with your opponent without revealing another’s secret;¹⁸

¹⁹otherwise, the one who hears will disgrace you, and you’ll never live it down.²⁰

²¹A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples in silver settings.²²

²³A wise correction to a receptive ear is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.²⁴

²⁵To those who send him, a trustworthy envoy is like the coolness of snow on a harvest day; he refreshes the life of his masters.²⁶

²⁷The one who boasts about a gift that does not exist is like clouds and wind without rain.²⁸

²⁹A ruler can be persuaded through patience, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.³⁰

³¹If you find honey, eat only what you need; otherwise, you’ll get sick from it and vomit.³²

³³Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house; otherwise, he’ll get sick of you and hate you.³⁴

³⁵A person giving false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.³⁶

³⁷Trusting an unreliable person in a difficult time is like a rotten tooth or a faltering foot.³⁸

³⁹Singing songs to a troubled heart is like taking off clothing on a cold day or like pouring vinegar on soda.⁴⁰

⁴¹If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,⁴²

⁴³for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.⁴⁴

⁴⁵The north wind produces rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.⁴⁶

⁴⁷Better to live on the corner of a roof than to share a house with a nagging wife.⁴⁸

⁴⁹Good news from a distant land is like cold water to a parched throat.⁵⁰

⁵¹A righteous person who yields to the wicked is like a muddied spring or a polluted well.⁵²

⁵³It is not good to eat too much honey or to seek glory after glory.⁵⁴

⁵⁵A person who does not control his temper is like a city whose wall is broken down.⁵⁶