Proverbs 25:1-14

Christian Standard Bible

² It is the glory of God to conceal a matter^(C)
and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.
³ As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated.

⁴ Remove impurities from silver,^(D)
and material will be produced^[a] for a silversmith.^[b](E)
5 Remove the wicked from the king’s presence,^(F)
and his throne will be established in righteousness.^(G)

⁶ Don’t boast about yourself before the king,
and don’t stand in the place of the great;
⁷ for it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here!”
than to demote you in plain view of a noble.^[c](H)

⁸ Don’t take a matter to court hastily.^(I)
Otherwise, what will you do afterward
if your opponent^[d] humiliates you?
⁹ Make your case with your opponent
without revealing another’s secret;^(J)
10 otherwise, the one who hears will disgrace you,
and you’ll never live it down.^[e]

¹¹ A word spoken at the right time
is like gold apples in silver settings.^(K)
12 A wise correction to a receptive ear^(L)
is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.

¹³ To those who send him, a trustworthy envoy
is like the coolness of snow on a harvest day;
he refreshes the life of his masters.^(M)

¹⁴ The one who boasts about a gift that does not exist
is like clouds and wind without rain.^(N)