所羅門的箴言(續)

25 以下也是所羅門的箴言,由猶大王希西迦的人抄錄。

將事隱藏是上帝的榮耀,
    把事查明是君王的光榮。
天之高,地之厚,
    君王的心測不透。
除掉銀子裡的渣滓,
    銀匠就能鑄造器皿。
清除君王身邊的惡人,
    王位必因公義而鞏固。
不可在王面前妄自尊大,
    不要佔據大人物的位子。
與其在權貴面前受羞辱,
    不如等人邀請你坐上座。
不可魯莽地打官司,
    以免敗訴、羞愧難當。
遇到跟鄰舍爭訟,
    不可洩露其秘密,
10 免得聽見的人辱罵你,
    你的惡名將永難洗刷。
11 一句話說得合宜,
    就像金蘋果放在銀器裡。
12 對受教者而言,
    智者的責備猶如金耳環和金飾物。
13 忠信的使者叫主人心裡舒暢,
    就像夏收之時有冰雪的涼氣。
14 誇口送禮物卻食言的人,
    就像沒有雨水的風和雲。
15 堅忍說服君王,
    柔舌折斷骨頭。
16 找到蜂蜜要酌量而食,
    免得吃多了嘔吐。
17 不要頻頻去鄰舍家,
    免得惹人煩、遭人厭。
18 作偽證陷害鄰舍的人,
    無異於大錘、刀和利箭。
19 危難時投靠奸詐之人,
    形同倚靠壞牙和跛腳。
20 對憂傷的人唱歌,
    如同天寒脫衣、傷口撒鹽。
21 你的仇敵若餓了,
    就給他吃的;
    若渴了,就給他水喝;
22 因為你這是把炭火堆在他頭上,
    耶和華必獎賞你。
23 北風帶來雨水,
    讒言激起憤怒。
24 寧願住在屋頂的一角,
    不跟爭鬧的妻子同屋。
25 有好消息從遠方傳來,
    如涼水滋潤乾渴的人。
26 義人向惡人低頭,
    就像清泉被攪渾,
    水井受污染。
27 蜂蜜吃得太多有害無益,
    追求自己的榮耀也不光彩。
28 無法自制的人就像被攻破的無牆之城。

More of Solomon's proverbs

25 These are more of Solomon's proverbs.[a] Hezekiah's men wrote them down when Hezekiah was king of Judah.[b]

God hides things because he is great. But great kings can explain things.

You can never know all the thoughts of a king. They go high above the sky and deep below the earth.

If you remove dirt from silver, a worker can use it to make a beautiful thing. In the same way, you should keep wicked people away from the king. Then he will rule in a right way.

When you stand in front of the king, do not be proud. Do not stand where the important people stand. Then it will be good if the king says to you, ‘Come and sit up here, near me.’ That would be better than if he sends you away while his officers watch.

If you see something bad happen, do not quickly go and tell a judge. Your neighbour may show that you are wrong. Then you will be ashamed. You will not know what to do.

If you argue with your neighbour, do not tell his secrets to other people. 10 If you do that, everyone will know about it. Then you will be ashamed for your whole life.

11 A wise word that you speak at the right time is a beautiful thing. It is like a gold apple on a silver plate. 12 When a wise person warns you, that is also a beautiful thing. It is like a gold ear-ring or a gold necklace.

13 When a faithful servant takes a message for his master, his master will have peace in his mind. It will keep him cool, like snow in the middle of summer.

14 Some people promise things, but they never do anything. Those people are like clouds and wind that do not bring any rain.

15 If you are patient, you may make a ruler change his mind. If you speak a quiet word, you can remove a difficult problem.

16 When you find honey, never eat more than you need. If you eat too much, you will become very sick.

17 Do not visit your neighbour's house too often. He may see you too much and he will start to hate you.

18 Some people may tell lies about their neighbour in court. Those people are like dangerous weapons, like sharp swords or arrows.

19 If you are in trouble and you trust someone who is not honest, it will not help you. He will be as useless as a bad tooth or a broken leg.

20 If you sing to a very sad man to make him happy, it only gives him more pain. It is like you are taking away his coat on a cold day, or you are putting vinegar on his wound.

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat. If he is thirsty, give him some water to drink. 22 If you help him, he will become ashamed, and the Lord will bless you with good things.

23 When the wind blows from the north, it brings rain. In the same way, when somebody tells other people's secrets, it brings anger.

24 It is better to live on the roof of your house than to live with a wife who always argues.

25 If you receive good news from a far away country, it is like cool water when you are tired and thirsty.

26 If you put dirt in a well, its good water becomes bad. It is the same with a righteous person who agrees to do wicked things.

27 It is bad for you to eat too much honey. If you always want people to praise you, it is also bad for you.

28 Somebody who cannot control his anger is in danger. He is like a city that no longer has a strong wall round it.

Footnotes

  1. 25:1 Some of these proverbs are longer than the proverbs in chapters 10 to 22. Many of them are written down in groups, not one by one.
  2. 25:1 King Hezekiah lived 250 years after King Solomon.

More Proverbs of Solomon

25 These are more proverbs(A) of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:(B)

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
    to search out a matter is the glory of kings.(C)
As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
    so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

Remove the dross from the silver,
    and a silversmith can produce a vessel;
remove wicked officials from the king’s presence,(D)
    and his throne will be established(E) through righteousness.(F)

Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
    and do not claim a place among his great men;
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
    do not bring[a] hastily to court,
for what will you do in the end
    if your neighbor puts you to shame?(H)

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.

15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,(L)
    and a gentle tongue can break a bone.(M)

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

  1. Proverbs 25:8 Or nobles / on whom you had set your eyes. / Do not go
  2. Proverbs 25:11 Or possibly apricots