Proverbs 25:1 - 29:27

Analogies of Wisdom

These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed. 2

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,

But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,

So the heart of kings is unsearchable.

Take away the dross from the silver,

And there comes out a vessel for the smith;

Take away the wicked before the king,

And his throne will be established in righteousness.

Do not promote your majesty in the presence of the king,

And in the place of great men do not stand;

For it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”

Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of a noble,

Whom your eyes have seen.

Do not go out hastily to plead your case;

Lest, what will you do in the end,

When your neighbor humiliates you?

Plead your case with your neighbor,

And do not reveal the secret of another,

Lest he who hears it bring disgrace upon you,

And the bad report about you will not turn away.

Like apples of gold in settings of silver

Is a word spoken in right circumstances.

Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold

Is a wise reprover to a listening ear.

Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest

Is a faithful envoy to those who send him,

For he refreshes the soul of his masters.

Like clouds and wind without rain

Is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely.

When one is slow to anger, a ruler may be persuaded,

And a soft tongue breaks the bone.

Have you found honey? Eat only enough for you,

Lest you have more than your fill and vomit it.

Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house,

Lest he have more than his fill of you and hate you.

Like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow

Is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.

Like an aching tooth and a slipping foot

Is trust in a treacherous man in a day of distress.

Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda,

Is he who sings songs to an aching heart.

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;

And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

For you will heap burning coals on his head,

And Yahweh will repay you.

The north wind brings forth rain,

And a tongue of secrets, an indignant face.

It is better to live in a corner of the roof

Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

Like cold water to a weary soul,

So is a good report from a distant land.

Like a muddied spring and a corrupted well

Is a righteous man shaking before the wicked.

To eat too much honey is not good,

Nor is it glory to search out one’s own glory.

Like a city that is broken into and without a wall

Is a man without restraint over his spirit.

Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest,

So glory is not fitting for a fool.

Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in flying,

So a curse without cause does not come to pass.

A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

And a rod for the back of fools.

Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

Lest you yourself also be like him.

Answer a fool according to his folly,

Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence

Who sends words by the hand of a fool.

Like the legs which hang limp on the lame,

So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Like one who binds a stone in a sling,

So is he who gives glory to a fool.

Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a drunkard,

So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Like an archer who wounds everyone,

So is he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by.

Like a dog that returns to its vomit

Is a fool who repeats his folly.

Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

The sluggard says, “There is a fierce lion in the road!

A lion is among the streets!”

As the door turns on its hinges,

So does the sluggard on his bed.

The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;

He is too weary to return it to his mouth.

The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes

Than seven men who can respond with a discreet answer.

Like one who seizes a dog by the ears

Is he who passes by and becomes passionate about strife not belonging to him.

Like a madman who shoots

Firebrands, arrows, and death,

So is the man who deceives his neighbor,

And says, “Am I not joking?”

With no wood the fire goes out,

And where there is no whisperer, strife quiets down.

Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,

So is a contentious man to kindle strife.

The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,

And they go down into the innermost parts of the stomach.

Like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross

Are fiery lips and an evil heart.

He who hates disguises it with his lips,

But he sets up deceit within himself.

When he makes his voice gracious, do not believe him,

For there are seven abominations in his heart.

Though his hatred covers itself with guile,

His evil will be revealed in the assembly.

He who digs a pit will fall into it,

And he who rolls a stone, it will turn back on him.

A lying tongue hates those it crushes,

And a flattering mouth works ruin.

Instructions and Warnings

Do not boast about tomorrow,

For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

Let a stranger praise you, and not your own mouth;

A foreigner, and not your own lips.

A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,

But the provocation of an ignorant fool is heavier than both of them.

Wrath is cruelty and anger is a flood,

But who can stand before jealousy?

Better is reproof that is revealed

Than love that is hidden.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.

A satisfied soul tramples the honeycomb,

But to a hungry soul any bitter thing is sweet.

Like a bird that wanders from her nest,

So is a man who wanders from his place.

Oil and incense make the heart glad,

So counsel from the soul is sweet to his friend.

Do not forsake your friend or your father’s friend,

And do not come to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster;

Better is one who dwells near than a brother far away.

Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,

That I may respond with a word to him who reproaches me.

A prudent man sees evil and hides,

The simple pass on and are punished.

Take his garment when he becomes a guarantor for a stranger;

And for a foreign woman seize it as a pledge.

He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning,

It will be counted as a curse to him.

A constant dripping on a day of steady rain

And a contentious woman are alike;

He who would restrain her restrains the wind,

And grasps oil with his right hand.

Iron sharpens iron,

So one man sharpens another.

He who guards the fig tree will eat its fruit,

And he who keeps watch for his master will be honored.

As in water face reflects face,

So the heart of man reflects man.

Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,

So the eyes of man are never satisfied.

The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,

And each is tested by the mouth that praises him.

Though you pound an ignorant fool in a mortar with a pestle in the midst of crushed grain,

His folly will not turn aside from him.

Know well the condition of your flocks,

And pay attention to your herds;

For wealth is not forever,

Neither is a crown from generation to generation.

When the grass disappears and the vegetation appears,

And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,

The lambs will be for your clothing,

And the goats will bring the price of a field,

And there will be enough goats’ milk for your food,

For the food of your household,

And sustenance for your maidens.

The wicked flee when there is no one pursuing,

But the righteous are secure as a lion.

By the transgression of a land many are its princes,

But by a man who understands, who knows, so it endures.

A poor man who oppresses the lowly

Is a driving rain which leaves no food.

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,

But those who keep the law strive with them.

Evil men do not understand justice,

But those who seek Yahweh understand all things.

Better is the poor who walks in his integrity

Than he who is crooked—double dealing—though he be rich.

He who observes the law is a son who understands,

But he who befriends gluttons humiliates his father.

He who increases his wealth by interest and usury

Gathers it for him who is gracious to the lowly.

He who turns away his ear from listening to the law,

Even his prayer is an abomination.

He who leads the upright astray in an evil way

Will himself fall into his own pit,

But the blameless will inherit good.

The rich man is wise in his own eyes,

But the lowly who understands searches him.

When the righteous exult, there is great honor,

But when the wicked rise, man has to be sought out.

He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper,

But he who confesses and forsakes them will receive compassion.

How blessed is the man who is always in dread,

But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

Like a roaring lion and a rushing bear

Is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

A leader who lacks discernment abounds in oppressions,

But he who hates greedy gain will prolong his days.

A man oppressed with the bloodguilt of life

Will flee until death; let no one uphold him.

He who walks blamelessly will be saved,

But he who is crooked—double dealing—will fall all at once.

He who cultivates his ground will be satisfied with food,

But he who pursues empty things will be satisfied with poverty.

A faithful man will abound with blessings,

But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.

To show partiality is not good,

Even for a piece of bread a man will transgress.

A man with an evil eye hurries after wealth

And does not know that want will come upon him.

He who reproves a man will afterward find more favor

Than he who flatters with the tongue.

He who robs his father or his mother

And says, “It is not a transgression,”

Is the companion of a man who destroys.

An arrogant man stirs up strife,

But he who trusts in Yahweh will be enriched.

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,

But he who walks wisely will escape.

He who gives to the poor will never want,

But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses.

When the wicked rise, men hide themselves;

But when they perish, the righteous increase.

A man who hardens his neck after much reproof

Will suddenly be broken beyond healing.

When the righteous increase, the people are glad,

But when a wicked man rules, people groan.

A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad,

But he who befriends harlots destroys his wealth.

By justice the king causes the land to stand,

But a man of bribes tears it down.

A man who flatters his neighbor

Is spreading a net for his steps.

By transgression an evil man is ensnared,

But the righteous sings with joy and is glad.

The righteous knows the cause of the poor,

The wicked does not understand that knowledge.

Scoffers set a city aflame,

But wise men turn away anger.

When a wise man is brought into judgment with a man who is an ignorant fool,

The ignorant fool both rages and laughs, and there is no rest.

Men of bloodshed hate the blameless,

But the upright seek the well‑being of his soul.

A fool lets out all of his spirit,

But a wise man holds it back.

If a ruler pays attention to a lying word,

All his ministers become wicked.

The poor man and the oppressor meet together in this—

Yahweh gives light to the eyes of both.

If a king judges the poor with truth,

His throne will be established forever.

The rod and reproof give wisdom,

But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

When the wicked increase, transgression increases;

But the righteous will see their fall.

Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;

And he will give delight to your soul.

Where there is no vision, the people are out of control,

But how blessed is he who keeps the law.

A slave will not be corrected by words alone;

For though he understands, there will be no answer.

Do you behold a man who is hasty in his words?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

He who pampers his slave from childhood

Will in the end find him to be arrogant.

An angry man stirs up strife,

And a hot‑tempered man abounds in transgression.

A man’s lofty pride will bring him low,

But a lowly spirit will take hold of glory.

He who divides the spoil with a thief hates his own soul;

He hears the oath but declares nothing.

Trembling before man brings a snare,

But he who trusts in Yahweh will be set securely on high.

Many seek the face of a ruler,

But justice for man comes from Yahweh.

An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,

And he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.