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Proverbs 25:13-28
English Standard Version
Proverbs 25:13-28
English Standard Version
13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
is (A)a faithful messenger to those who send him;
he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 Like (B)clouds and wind without rain
is a man who (C)boasts of a gift he does not give.
15 With (D)patience a ruler may be persuaded,
and a soft tongue will break a bone.
16 If you have (E)found honey, eat (F)only enough for you,
lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.
17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house,
lest he have his fill of you and hate you.
18 A man who (G)bears false witness against his neighbor
is like a war club, or (H)a sword, or a sharp arrow.
19 Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble
is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.
20 Whoever (I)sings songs to a heavy heart
is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,
and like vinegar on soda.
21 (J)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 (K)burning coals on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings forth rain,
and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.
24 (L)It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
25 Like cold water to (M)a thirsty soul,
so is (N)good news from a far country.
26 Like (O)a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
27 It is (P)not good to eat much honey,
nor is it glorious to (Q)seek one's own glory.[a]
28 A man (R)without self-control
is like (S)a city broken into and left without walls.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 25:27 The meaning of the Hebrew line is uncertain
Proverbs 25:13-28
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 25:13-28
New American Standard Bible
13 Like the cold of snow in the [a]time of harvest
Is a (A)faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 Like (B)clouds and (C)wind without rain
Is a person who boasts [b]of his gifts falsely.
15 Through [c](D)patience a ruler may be persuaded,
And a gentle tongue breaks bone.
16 Have you (E)found honey? Eat only [d]what you need,
So that you do not have it in excess and vomit it.
17 Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house,
Or he will become [e]weary of you and hate you.
18 Like a club, a (F)sword, and a sharp (G)arrow
Is a person who gives (H)false testimony against his neighbor.
19 Like a bad tooth and [f]an unsteady foot
Is confidence in a (I)treacherous person in time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on [g]soda,
Is one who sings songs to [h]a troubled heart.
21 (J)If [i]your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For you will [j]heap burning coals on his head,
And (K)the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings rain,
And a [k](L)gossiping tongue brings an angry face.
24 It is (M)better to live on a corner of the roof,
Than [l]in a house shared with a contentious woman.
25 Like cold water to a weary soul,
So is (N)good news from a distant land.
26 Like a (O)trampled spring and a [m]polluted well,
So is a righteous person who gives way before the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat much honey,
Nor is it glory to (P)search out [n]one’s own glory.
28 Like a (Q)city that is broken into and without walls
So is a person (R)who has no self-control over his spirit.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 25:13 Lit day
- Proverbs 25:14 Lit in a gift of falsehood
- Proverbs 25:15 Lit length of anger
- Proverbs 25:16 Lit your sufficiency
- Proverbs 25:17 Lit surfeited with
- Proverbs 25:19 Lit a slipping foot
- Proverbs 25:20 I.e., natron
- Proverbs 25:20 Lit an evil
- Proverbs 25:21 Lit one who hates you
- Proverbs 25:22 Lit snatch up
- Proverbs 25:23 Lit tongue of secrecy
- Proverbs 25:24 Lit with a woman of contentions and a house of association
- Proverbs 25:26 Lit ruined
- Proverbs 25:27 Lit their
Proverbs 25:13-28
New International Version
Proverbs 25:13-28
New International Version
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.(A)
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.(D)
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.(E)
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(F) on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.(G)
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.(H)
25 Like cold water to a weary soul
is good news from a distant land.(I)
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,(J)
nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep.(K)
28 Like a city whose walls are broken through
is a person who lacks self-control.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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.