Font Size
Proverbs 25
Authorized (King James) Version
Proverbs 25
Authorized (King James) Version
25 These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing:
but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
3 The heaven for height, and the earth for depth,
and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the dross from the silver,
and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.
5 Take away the wicked from before the king,
and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
6 Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king,
and stand not in the place of great men:
7 for better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither;
than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.
8 Go not forth hastily to strive,
lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof,
when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.
9 Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself;
and discover not a secret to another:
10 lest he that heareth it put thee to shame,
and thine infamy turn not away.
11 A word fitly spoken
is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
12 As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold,
so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
13 As the cold of snow in the time of harvest,
so is a faithful messenger to them that send him:
for he refresheth the soul of his masters.
14 Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift
is like clouds and wind without rain.
15 By long forbearing is a prince persuaded,
and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.
16 Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee,
lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
17 Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house;
lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.
18 A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour
is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble
is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.
20 As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather,
and as vinegar upon nitre,
so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.
21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat;
and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
22 for thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head,
and the Lord shall reward thee.
23 The north wind driveth away rain:
so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
24 It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop,
than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.
25 As cold waters to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from a far country.
26 A righteous man falling down before the wicked
is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.
27 It is not good to eat much honey:
so for men to search their own glory is not glory.
28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit
is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
Proverbs 25
New International Version
Proverbs 25
New International Version
More Proverbs of Solomon
25 These are more proverbs(A) of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:(B)
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings.(C)
3 As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
4 Remove the dross from the silver,
and a silversmith can produce a vessel;
5 remove wicked officials from the king’s presence,(D)
and his throne will be established(E) through righteousness.(F)
6 Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
and do not claim a place among his great men;
7 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
8 do not bring[a] hastily to court,
for what will you do in the end
if your neighbor puts you to shame?(H)
9 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.
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
- Proverbs 25:8 Or nobles / on whom you had set your eyes. / 8 Do not go
- Proverbs 25:11 Or possibly apricots
Proverbs 25
New Living Translation
Proverbs 25
New Living Translation
More Proverbs of Solomon
25 These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the advisers of King Hezekiah of Judah.
2 It is God’s privilege to conceal things
and the king’s privilege to discover them.
3 No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of the earth,
or all that goes on in the king’s mind!
4 Remove the impurities from silver,
and the sterling will be ready for the silversmith.
5 Remove the wicked from the king’s court,
and his reign will be made secure by justice.
6 Don’t demand an audience with the king
or push for a place among the great.
7 It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table
than to be sent away in public disgrace.
Just because you’ve seen something,
8 don’t be in a hurry to go to court.
For what will you do in the end
if your neighbor deals you a shameful defeat?
9 When arguing with your neighbor,
don’t betray another person’s secret.
10 Others may accuse you of gossip,
and you will never regain your good reputation.
11 Timely advice is lovely,
like golden apples in a silver basket.
12 To one who listens, valid criticism
is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry.
13 Trustworthy messengers refresh like snow in summer.
They revive the spirit of their employer.
14 A person who promises a gift but doesn’t give it
is like clouds and wind that bring no rain.
15 Patience can persuade a prince,
and soft speech can break bones.
16 Do you like honey?
Don’t eat too much, or it will make you sick!
17 Don’t visit your neighbors too often,
or you will wear out your welcome.
18 Telling lies about others
is as harmful as hitting them with an ax,
wounding them with a sword,
or shooting them with a sharp arrow.
19 Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble
is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot.
20 Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart
is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather
or pouring vinegar in a wound.[a]
21 If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat.
If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.
22 You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads,
and the Lord will reward you.
23 As surely as a north wind brings rain,
so a gossiping tongue causes anger!
24 It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic
than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.
25 Good news from far away
is like cold water to the thirsty.
26 If the godly give in to the wicked,
it’s like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring.
27 It’s not good to eat too much honey,
and it’s not good to seek honors for yourself.
28 A person without self-control
is like a city with broken-down walls.
Footnotes
- 25:20 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads pouring vinegar on soda.
Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.
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.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.