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It brings glory to God to hide a matter,
but it brings glory to kings to investigate a matter.
As heaven is high and earth is deep,
so there is no searching the heart of kings.

Remove impurities from silver,
and a vessel can be cast by a silversmith.
Remove a wicked person from a king’s presence,
and his throne will be established with righteousness.

Do not honor yourself in a king’s presence.
Do not stand in a place reserved for great people,
because it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
than for you to be humiliated before a ruler
    whom your eyes have seen.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 25:7 Many translations associate this line with verse 8: What you have seen with your eye do not bring quickly into court. Manuscript evidence supports a connection with verse 7, but sense seems to favor including it with verse 8.

15 By patience a ruler can be persuaded,
and a soft tongue can break a bone.

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