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Proverbs 25
Modern English Version
Proverbs 25
Modern English Version
More Proverbs of Solomon
25 These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing,
but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.
3 As the heaven for height, and the earth for depth,
so the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the dross from the silver,
and there will come forth a vessel for the refiner.
5 Take away the wicked from before the king,
and his throne will be established in righteousness.
6 Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,
and do not stand in the place of great men;
7 for it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince,
whom your eyes have seen.
8 Do not go forth hastily to strive;
lest you do not know what to do in the end,
when your neighbor has put you to shame.
9 Debate your cause with your neighbor himself,
and do not disclose a secret to another;
10 lest he who hears it put you to shame,
and your reputation be ruined.
11 A word fitly spoken
is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
12 As an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold,
so is a wise reprover to an obedient ear.
13 As the cold of snow in the time of harvest,
so is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
for he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 Whoever boasts himself of a false gift
is like clouds and wind without rain.
15 By long forbearing is a prince persuaded,
and a soft tongue breaks the bone.
16 Have you found honey? Eat only as much as is sufficient for you,
lest you be filled with it and vomit it.
17 Withdraw your foot from your neighbor’s house,
lest he be weary of you and so hate you.
18 A man who bears false witness against his neighbor
is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.
19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble
is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joint.
20 As he who takes away a garment in cold weather,
and as vinegar on soda,
so is he who sings songs to a heavy heart.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 for you will heap coals of fire upon his head,
and the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings rain,
and a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.
24 It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop
than with a brawling woman in a wide house.
25 As cold waters to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from a far country.
26 A righteous man falling down before the wicked
is as a troubled fountain and a corrupt spring.
27 It is not good to eat much honey;
so for men to search their own glory is not glory.
28 He who has no rule over his own spirit
is like a city that is broken down and without walls.
Proverbs 25
New International Version
Proverbs 25
New International Version
More Proverbs of Solomon
25 These are more proverbs(A) of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:(B)
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings.(C)
3 As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
4 Remove the dross from the silver,
and a silversmith can produce a vessel;
5 remove wicked officials from the king’s presence,(D)
and his throne will be established(E) through righteousness.(F)
6 Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
and do not claim a place among his great men;
7 it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”(G)
than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.
What you have seen with your eyes
8 do not bring[a] hastily to court,
for what will you do in the end
if your neighbor puts you to shame?(H)
9 If you take your neighbor to court,
do not betray another’s confidence,
10 or the one who hears it may shame you
and the charge against you will stand.
11 Like apples[b] of gold in settings of silver(I)
is a ruling rightly given.
12 Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.(J)
13 Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time
is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him;
he refreshes the spirit of his master.(K)
14 Like clouds and wind without rain
is one who boasts of gifts never given.
16 If you find honey, eat just enough—
too much of it, and you will vomit.(N)
17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—
too much of you, and they will hate you.
18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor.(O)
19 Like a broken tooth or a lame foot
is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
or like vinegar poured on a wound,
is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals(P) on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.(Q)
23 Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain
is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.
24 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(R)
25 Like cold water to a weary soul
is good news from a distant land.(S)
26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
are the righteous who give way to the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat too much honey,(T)
nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep.(U)
28 Like a city whose walls are broken through
is a person who lacks self-control.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 25:8 Or nobles / on whom you had set your eyes. / 8 Do not go
- Proverbs 25:11 Or possibly apricots
Proverbs 25
International Children’s Bible
Proverbs 25
International Children’s Bible
More Wise Sayings of Solomon
25 These are more wise sayings of Solomon. They were copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah.
2 God is honored for what he keeps secret.
Kings are honored for what they can discover.
3 No one can measure the height of the skies or the depth of the earth.
So also no one can understand the mind of a king.
4 Remove the scum from the silver.
Then the silver can be used by the silversmith.
5 Remove wicked people from the king’s presence.
Then his government will be honest and last a long time.
6 Don’t brag to the king.
Don’t act as if you are a great man.
7 It is better for him to promote you to a higher job
than to give you a less important position.
Because of something you have seen,
8 do not quickly take someone to court.
What will you do later
when your neighbor proves you are wrong?
9 If you have an argument with your neighbor,
don’t tell other people what was said.
10 Whoever hears it might say bad things about you.
And you might not ever be respected again.
11 The right word spoken at the right time
is as beautiful as gold apples in a silver bowl.
12 The warning of a wise person is valuable to someone who will listen.
It is worth as much as gold earrings or fine gold jewelry.
13 A trustworthy messenger refreshes those who send him.
He is like the coolness of snow in the summertime.
14 People who brag about gifts they never give
are like clouds and wind that give no rain.
15 With patience you can convince a ruler.
And a gentle word can get through to the hard-headed.
16 If you find honey, don’t eat too much.
Too much of it will make you sick.
17 Don’t go to your neighbor’s house too often.
Too much of you will make him hate you.
18 Anyone who lies about his neighbor
hurts him as a club, a sword or a sharp arrow would.
19 Don’t trust unfaithful people when you are in trouble.
It’s like eating with a broken tooth or walking with a crippled foot.
20 Don’t sing songs to someone who is sad.
It’s like taking off a coat on a cold day
or pouring vinegar on soda.
21 If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him a drink.
22 Doing this will be like pouring burning coals on his head.
And the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings rain.
In the same way, telling gossip brings angry looks.
24 It is better to live in a corner on the roof[a]
than inside the house with a quarreling wife.
25 Hearing good news from a faraway place
is like having a cool drink when you are tired.
26 A good person who gives in to evil
is like a muddy spring or a dirty well.
27 It is not good to eat too much honey.
In the same way, it is not good to brag about yourself.
28 A person who does not control himself
is like a city whose walls have been broken down.
Footnotes
- 25:24 roof In Bible times houses were built with flat roofs. The roof was used for drying things such as flax and fruit. And it was used as an extra room, as a place for worship and as a place to sleep in the summer.
Modern English Version (MEV)
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
International Children’s Bible (ICB) 
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.