Proverbs 25
Expanded Bible
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].
2 ·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].
3 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.
4 ·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].
5 ·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].
6 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].
7 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,
8 do not quickly take someone to court.
What will you do later
when your neighbor ·proves you wrong [L humiliates/shames you]?
9 ·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.
Proverbs 25
New American Standard Bible
Similitudes and Instructions
25 These also are (A)proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.
2 It is the glory of God to (B)conceal a matter,
But the glory of (C)kings is to search out a matter.
3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the [a](D)impurities from the silver,
And there comes out a vessel for the (E)smith;
5 Take away the (F)wicked before the king,
And his (G)throne will be established in righteousness.
6 Do not boast in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the same place [b]as great people;
7 For (H)it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.
8 Do not go out (I)hastily to [c]argue your case;
[d]Otherwise, what will you do in [e]the end,
When your neighbor humiliates you?
9 [f](J)Argue your case with your neighbor,
And (K)do not reveal the secret of another,
10 Or one who hears it will put you to shame,
And the evil report about you will not [g]pass away.
11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver,
Is a (L)word spoken at [h]the proper time.
12 Like [i]an (M)earring of gold and a (N)jewelry piece of (O)fine gold,
Is a wise person who offers rebukes to a (P)listening ear.
13 Like the cold of snow in the [j]time of harvest
Is a (Q)faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 Like (R)clouds and (S)wind without rain
Is a person who boasts [k]of his gifts falsely.
15 Through [l](T)patience a ruler may be persuaded,
And a gentle tongue breaks bone.
16 Have you (U)found honey? Eat only [m]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 [n]weary of you and hate you.
18 Like a club, a (V)sword, and a sharp (W)arrow
Is a person who gives (X)false testimony against his neighbor.
19 Like a bad tooth and [o]an unsteady foot
Is confidence in a (Y)treacherous person in time of trouble.
20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on [p]soda,
Is one who sings songs to [q]a troubled heart.
21 (Z)If [r]your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For you will [s]heap burning coals on his head,
And (AA)the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings rain,
And a [t](AB)gossiping tongue brings an angry face.
24 It is (AC)better to live on a corner of the roof,
Than [u]in a house shared with a contentious woman.
25 Like cold water to a weary soul,
So is (AD)good news from a distant land.
26 Like a (AE)trampled spring and a [v]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 (AF)search out [w]one’s own glory.
28 Like a (AG)city that is broken into and without walls
So is a person (AH)who has no self-control over his spirit.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 25:4 Lit dross
- Proverbs 25:6 Lit of
- Proverbs 25:8 Lit contend
- Proverbs 25:8 Lit Lest
- Proverbs 25:8 Lit its
- Proverbs 25:9 Lit Contend
- Proverbs 25:10 Lit return
- Proverbs 25:11 Lit its time
- Proverbs 25:12 Or a nose ring
- 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
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New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
