Proverbs 25-26

Common English Bible

⁴ Remove the dross from the silver,
    and a vessel will come out for the refiner.
⁵ Remove the wicked from the king’s presence,
    and his throne will be established in righteousness.

⁶ Don’t exalt yourself in the presence of the king,
    or stand in the place of important people,
⁷     because it is better that he say to you,
    “Come up here,”
    than to be demoted before a ruler.

What your eyes see, ⁸ don’t be quick to quarrel over;
    what will you do in the future when your neighbor shames you?
⁹ Argue it out with your neighbor,
    and don’t give away someone’s secret.
¹⁰ Otherwise, the one who hears it will vilify you;
    the slander against you will never stop.

¹¹ Words spoken at the right time
    are like gold apples in a silver setting.
¹² Wise correction to an ear that listens
    is like a gold earring or jewelry of fine gold.

¹³ Like the coolness of snow on a harvest day
    are reliable messengers to those who send them;
    they restore the life of their master.
¹⁴ People who brag about a gift never given
    are like clouds and wind that produce no rain.
¹⁵ A commander can be persuaded with patience,
    and a tender tongue can break a bone.
¹⁶ If you find honey, eat just the right amount;
    otherwise, you’ll get full and vomit it up.
¹⁷ Don’t spend too much time in your neighbor’s house.
    Otherwise, they’ll get fed up with you and hate you.
¹⁸ People who testify falsely against their neighbors
    are like a club, sword, and sharpened arrow.
¹⁹ Trusting a treacherous person at a difficult time
    is like having a bad tooth or a wobbly foot.
²⁰ Singing a song to a troubled heart
    is like taking off a garment on a cold day
    or putting vinegar on a wound.^[a]
21 If your enemies are starving, feed them some bread;
    if they are thirsty, give them water to drink.
²² By doing this, you will heap burning coals on their heads,
    and the Lord will reward you.
²³ The north wind stirs up rain,
    and a person who plots quietly provokes angry faces.
²⁴ Better to live on the edge of a roof
    than to share a house with a contentious woman.
²⁵ Good news from a distant land
    is like cold water for a weary person.
²⁶ A righteous person giving in to the wicked
    is like a contaminated spring or a polluted fountain.
²⁷ Eating too much honey isn’t good,
    nor is it appropriate to seek honor.
²⁸ A person without self-control
    is like a breached city, one with no walls.

26 Like snow in the summer or rain at harvest,
    so honor isn’t appropriate for a fool.
² Like a darting sparrow, like a flying swallow,
    so an undeserved curse never arrives.
³ A whip for a horse, a bridle for a donkey,
    and a rod for the back of fools.
⁴ Don’t answer fools according to their folly,
    or you will become like them yourself.
⁵ Answer fools according to their folly,
    or they will deem themselves wise.
⁶ Sending messages with a fool
    is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking down violence.
⁷ As legs dangle from a disabled person,
    so does a proverb in the mouth of fools.
⁸ Like tying a stone in a sling,
    so is giving respect to a fool.
⁹ Like a thorny bush in the hand of a drunk,
    so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
¹⁰ Like an archer who wounds someone randomly,
    so is one who hires a fool or a passerby.
¹¹ Like a dog that returns to its vomit,
    so a fool repeats foolish mistakes.
¹² Do you see people who consider themselves wise?
    There is more hope for a fool than for them.
¹³ A lazy person says, “There’s a lion in the path!
    A lion in the plazas!”
¹⁴ As a door turns on its hinge,
    so do lazy people in their beds.
¹⁵ Lazy people bury their hand into the bowl,
    too tired to return it to their mouth.
¹⁶ Lazy people think they are wiser
    than seven people who answer sensibly.

¹⁷     Like yanking the ears of a dog,
    so is one who passes by and gets involved in another person’s fight.
¹⁸ Like a crazy person shooting deadly flaming arrows
¹⁹     are those who deceive their neighbor and say, “Hey, I was only joking!”
²⁰ Without wood a fire goes out;
    without gossips, conflict calms down.
²¹ Like adding charcoal to embers or wood to fire,
    quarrelsome people kindle strife.
²² The words of gossips are like choice snacks;
    they go down to the inmost parts.
²³ Smooth^[b] lips and an evil heart
    are like silver coating on clay.
²⁴ Hateful people mislead with their lips,
    keeping their deception within.
²⁵ Though they speak graciously, don’t believe them,
    for seven horrible things are in their heart.
²⁶ They may cover their hatred with trickery,
    but their evil will be revealed in public.
²⁷ Those who dig a pit will fall in it;
    those who roll a stone will have it turn back on them.
²⁸ A lying tongue hates those it crushes;
    a flattering mouth causes destruction.