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。

26 愚人得尊榮本不合宜,
    如夏天降雪、收割時下雨。
麻雀翻飛,燕子翱翔,
    咒詛不會無端降臨。
鞭子打馬,韁繩勒驢,
    棍棒責打愚人的背。
別照愚人的愚昧回答他,
    免得你像他一樣。
要照愚人的愚昧回答他,
    免得他自以為有智慧。
靠愚人傳信,
    如同砍斷自己的腳,
    自討苦吃。
愚人口中說箴言,
    如同跛子空有腿。
把尊榮給愚人,
    就像把石子綁在甩石器上。
愚人口中說箴言,
    如同醉漢握荊棘。
10 雇用愚人或路人,
    如同弓箭手亂箭傷人。
11 愚人一再重複愚昧事,
    就像狗回頭吃所吐的。
12 自以為有智慧的人,
    還不如愚人有希望。
13 懶惰人說:「路上有獅子,
    街上有猛獅。」
14 懶惰人賴在床上滾來滾去,
    就像門在門軸上轉來轉去。
15 懶惰人手放在餐盤,
    卻懶得送食物進嘴。
16 懶惰人自以為比七個善於應對的人更有智慧。
17 插手他人的糾紛,
    猶如揪狗的耳朵。
18-19 欺騙鄰舍還說是開玩笑,
    如同瘋子亂拋火把、亂射箭。
20 沒有木柴,火自然熄滅;
    沒有閒話,爭端便平息。
21 好鬥之人煽動爭端,
    如同餘火加炭、火上加柴。
22 閒言閒語如可口的美食,
    輕易進入人的五臟六腑。
23 火熱的嘴,邪惡的心,
    猶如瓦器鍍了層銀。
24 怨恨人的用美言掩飾自己,
    心中卻藏著詭詐。
25 縱然他甜言蜜語,你也不可信他,
    因為他心中充滿各種可憎之事。
26 雖然他用詭計掩飾怨恨,
    他的邪惡必被會眾揭穿。
27 挖陷阱的,必自陷其中;
    滾石頭的,必自傷己身。
28 撒謊的舌恨它所害的人,
    諂媚的嘴帶來毀滅。

More Wise Sayings of Solomon

25 These are more ·wise sayings [proverbs] of Solomon [1:1; 10:1], copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah [C ruled 727–698 bc; 2 Kin. 18–20; 2 Chr. 29–32; Is. 36–39].

·God is honored for what he keeps secret [L It is the glory of God to hide a matter/things; Deut. 29:29].
·Kings are honored for what they can discover [L It is the glory of kings to examine them].

No one can ·measure [examine] the height of the skies or the depth of the earth.
So also no one can ·understand [examine] the ·mind [L heart] of a king.

·Remove [Separate] the ·scum [dross] from the silver,
    so ·the silver can be used by the silversmith [L a vessel will come out for refining].
·Remove [Separate] wicked people from the king’s presence;
    then his ·government [L throne] will be ·honest and last a long time [L established in righteousness].

Don’t ·brag [honor yourself] to the king
    and ·act as if you are great [L don’t stand in the place of important people].
It is better for him to ·give you a higher position [L say to you, “Come up here”]
    than to bring you down in front of the prince [Luke 14:7–11].

Because of something you have seen,
    do not quickly take someone to court.
What will you do later
    when your neighbor ·proves you wrong [L humiliates/shames you]?

·If you have an argument with [L Make your accusations against] your neighbor,
    ·don’t tell other people what was said [keep it a secret from others].
10 Whoever hears it might shame you,
    and ·you might not ever be respected again [L the slander against you will never stop].

11 The right word spoken at the right time
is as beautiful as gold apples in a silver ·bowl [L setting].

12 A wise ·warning [correction] to ·someone who will listen [L a listening ear]
is as valuable as gold earrings or fine gold jewelry.

13 Trustworthy messengers refresh those who send them,
like the coolness of snow ·in the summertime [L at harvest time].

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 [tender] word ·can get through to the hard-headed [L breaks bone].

16 If you find honey, ·don’t eat too much [eat the right amount],
    or it will make you full and you will throw up.
17 ·Don’t go to your neighbor’s house too often [L Rarely let your feet step into your neighbor’s house];
    ·too much of you will make him [L they will have their fill of you and] hate you.

18 When you ·lie [falsely testify] about your neighbors [Ex. 20:16],
it hurts them as much as a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.

19 Trusting unfaithful people ·when you are in [L on a day of] trouble
is like eating with a broken tooth or walking with a crippled foot.

20 Singing songs to ·someone who is sad [L a troubled heart]
    is like taking away his coat on a cold day
or pouring vinegar on soda [C sodium bicarbonate; mixing the two would cause an adverse reaction; the Greek Old Testament reads “scab” or “wound” instead of “soda”].

21 If ·your enemy [L one you hate] 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 [Rom. 12:19–21].

23 As the north wind brings rain,
·telling gossip [L a hidden tongue] brings angry looks.

24 It is better to live in a corner on the roof [21:9]
than inside the house with a ·quarreling [contentious] wife.

25 Good news from a faraway place
is like a cool drink when you are tired.

26 A good person who ·gives in to [staggers before] evil
is like a ·muddy [foul] spring or a ·dirty [ruined] well.

27 It is not good to eat too much honey,
nor does it bring you honor to ·brag about yourself [seek honor].

28 Those who ·do not control themselves [are unrestrained in spirit]
are like a city whose walls are broken down.

26 It shouldn’t snow in summer or rain at harvest.
Neither should a foolish person ever be honored.

Curses ·will not harm someone who is innocent [that are undeserved never stick];
they are like ·darting [flitting] birds or flying swallows.

Whips are for horses, and ·harnesses [bridles] are for donkeys,
·so paddles are good for fools [L and rods for the backs of fools].

Don’t answer fools when they speak foolishly,
or you will be just like them.

Answer fools when they speak foolishly,
or they will ·think they are really wise [L be wise in their own eyes; C a wise person must read the situation to know whether to answer or not].

Sending a message by a foolish person
is like cutting off your feet or drinking ·poison [L violence].

A ·wise saying spoken by [L proverb in the mouth of] a fool
·is as useless as [L dangles like] the legs of a crippled person.

Giving honor to a foolish person
is like ·tying a stone [L a bag of stones] in a slingshot.

A ·wise saying spoken by [L proverb in the mouth of] a fool
is like a ·thorn stuck in the hand of a drunk [L thornbush in the hand of a fool].

10 Hiring a foolish person or anyone just passing by
is like an archer shooting ·at just anything [randomly].

11 A fool who repeats his ·foolishness [foolish mistakes]
is like a dog that goes back to ·what it has thrown up [its vomit; 2 Pet. 2:22].

12 There is more hope for a foolish person
than for those who ·think they are wise [L are wise in their own eyes].

13 The lazy person says, “There’s a lion in the ·road [path]!
There’s a lion in the streets!”

14 Like a door turning back and forth on its hinges,
the lazy person turns over and over in bed.

15 Lazy people may ·put [L bury] their hands in the dish,
but they are ·too tired [or not able] to lift the food to their mouths.

16 The lazy person ·thinks he is wiser [L is wiser in his own eyes]
than seven people who give sensible answers.

17 Interfering in ·someone else’s quarrel as you pass by [or a fight not your own]
is like grabbing a dog by the ears [L as it passes by; C the idea of passing by can go with either line].

18 Like a madman shooting
    deadly, burning arrows
19 is the one who ·tricks [deceives] a neighbor
    and then says, “I was just joking.”

20 Without wood, a fire ·will go out [is extinguished],
and without gossip, ·quarreling will stop [conflict calms down].

21 Just as charcoal and wood keep a fire going,
a quarrelsome person ·keeps an argument going [kindles accusations].

22 The words of a gossip are like ·tasty bits of food [choice morsels];
·people like to gobble them up [L they go down to the inmost parts].

23 ·Kind words [L Smooth lips] from a wicked ·mind [L heart]
are like ·a shiny [silver] coating on a clay pot.

24 Those who hate you may try to ·fool [trick] you with their ·words [L lips],
    but ·in their minds [inside] they ·are planning evil [L set deception].
25 People’s ·words [L voice] may be ·kind [gracious], but don’t believe them,
    because ·their minds are full of evil thoughts [L seven abominations are in their heart; C seven is the number of completion].
26 ·Lies [Trickery; Guile] can ·hide [cover] hate,
    but the evil will be ·plain to everyone [L revealed in the assembly].

27 Whoever digs a pit for others will fall into it.
Whoever tries to roll a boulder down on others will ·be crushed by it [L have it turn back on them].

28 ·Liars [L Lying tongues] hate the people they ·hurt [crush],
and ·false praise [L a flattering tongue] can ruin others.

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.

26 Like snow in summer or rain(V) in harvest,
    honor is not fitting for a fool.(W)
Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
    an undeserved curse does not come to rest.(X)
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,(Y)
    and a rod for the backs of fools!(Z)
Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
    or you yourself will be just like him.(AA)
Answer a fool according to his folly,
    or he will be wise in his own eyes.(AB)
Sending a message by the hands of a fool(AC)
    is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
Like the useless legs of one who is lame
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(AD)
Like tying a stone in a sling
    is the giving of honor to a fool.(AE)
Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(AF)
10 Like an archer who wounds at random
    is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit,(AG)
    so fools repeat their folly.(AH)
12 Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?(AI)
    There is more hope for a fool than for them.(AJ)

13 A sluggard says,(AK) “There’s a lion in the road,
    a fierce lion roaming the streets!”(AL)
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
    so a sluggard turns on his bed.(AM)
15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.(AN)
16 A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
    than seven people who answer discreetly.

17 Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
    is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.

18 Like a maniac shooting
    flaming arrows of death
19 is one who deceives their neighbor
    and says, “I was only joking!”

20 Without wood a fire goes out;
    without a gossip a quarrel dies down.(AO)
21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
    so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.(AP)
22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
    they go down to the inmost parts.(AQ)

23 Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
    are fervent[c] lips with an evil heart.
24 Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,(AR)
    but in their hearts they harbor deceit.(AS)
25 Though their speech is charming,(AT) do not believe them,
    for seven abominations fill their hearts.(AU)
26 Their malice may be concealed by deception,
    but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit(AV) will fall into it;(AW)
    if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.(AX)
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
    and a flattering mouth(AY) works ruin.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 25:8 Or nobles / on whom you had set your eyes. / Do not go
  2. Proverbs 25:11 Or possibly apricots
  3. Proverbs 26:23 Hebrew; Septuagint smooth