Old/New Testament

² God is honored for what he keeps secret.
    Kings are honored for what they can discover.

³ No one can measure the height of the skies or the depth of the earth.
    So also no one can understand the mind of a king.

⁴ Remove the scum from the silver.
    Then the silver can be used by the silversmith.
⁵ Remove wicked people from the king’s presence.
    Then his government will be honest and last a long time.

⁶ Don’t brag to the king.
    Don’t act as if you are a great man.
⁷ It is better for him to promote you to a higher job
    than to give you a less important position.

Because of something you have seen,
⁸     do not quickly take someone to court.
What will you do later
    when your neighbor proves you are wrong?

⁹ If you have an argument with your neighbor,
    don’t tell other people what was said.
¹⁰ Whoever hears it might say bad things about you.
    And you might not ever be respected again.

¹¹ The right word spoken at the right time
    is as beautiful as gold apples in a silver bowl.

¹² The warning of a wise person is valuable to someone who will listen.
    It is worth as much as gold earrings or fine gold jewelry.

¹³ A trustworthy messenger refreshes those who send him.
    He is like the coolness of snow in the summertime.

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 word can get through to the hard-headed.

¹⁶ If you find honey, don’t eat too much.
    Too much of it will make you sick.
¹⁷ Don’t go to your neighbor’s house too often.
    Too much of you will make him hate you.

¹⁸ Anyone who lies about his neighbor
    hurts him as a club, a sword or a sharp arrow would.

¹⁹ Don’t trust unfaithful people when you are in trouble.
    It’s like eating with a broken tooth or walking with a crippled foot.

²⁰ Don’t sing songs to someone who is sad.
    It’s like taking off a coat on a cold day
    or pouring vinegar on soda.

²¹ If your enemy 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.

²³ The north wind brings rain.
    In the same way, telling gossip brings angry looks.

²⁴ It is better to live in a corner on the roof^[a]
    than inside the house with a quarreling wife.

²⁵ Hearing good news from a faraway place
    is like having a cool drink when you are tired.

²⁶ A good person who gives in to evil
    is like a muddy spring or a dirty well.

²⁷ It is not good to eat too much honey.
    In the same way, it is not good to brag about yourself.

²⁸ A person who does not control himself
    is like a city whose walls have been broken down.

26 It shouldn’t snow in summer or rain at harvest.
    Neither should a foolish person ever be honored.

² Curses will not harm someone who is innocent.
    They are like sparrows or swallows that fly around and never land.

³ A whip is used to guide a horse, and a harness is used for a donkey.
    In the same way, a paddle is used on a foolish person to guide him.

⁴ Don’t give a foolish person a foolish answer.
    If you do, you will be just like him.

⁵ But answer a foolish person as he should be answered.
    If you don’t, he will think he is really wise.

⁶ Don’t send a message by a foolish person.
    That would be like cutting off your feet or drinking poison.

⁷ A wise saying spoken by a fool does no good.
    It is like the legs of a crippled person.

⁸ Giving honor to a foolish person does no good.
    It is like tying a stone in a slingshot.

⁹ A wise saying spoken by a fool
    is like a thorn stuck in the hand of a drunk.

¹⁰ Someone might employ a foolish person or anyone just passing by.
    That employer is like an archer who shoots at anything he sees.

¹¹ A dog eats what it throws up.
    And a foolish person repeats his foolishness.

¹² Some people think they are wise.
    There is more hope for a foolish person than for them.

¹³ The lazy person says, “There’s a lion in the road.
    There’s a lion in the streets!”

¹⁴ The lazy person is like a door that turns back and forth on its hinges.
    He stays in bed and turns over and over.

¹⁵ The lazy person may put his hand in the dish.
    But he’s too tired to lift the food to his mouth.

¹⁶ The lazy person thinks he is wiser
    than seven people who give sensible answers.

¹⁷ To grab a dog by the ears is asking for trouble.
    So is interfering in someone else’s quarrel if you’re just passing by.

^18-19 A person shouldn’t trick his neighbor
    and then say, “I was just joking!”
That is like a madman shooting
    deadly, burning arrows.

²⁰ Without wood, a fire will go out.
    And without gossip, quarreling will stop.

²¹ Charcoal and wood keep a fire going.
    In the same way, a quarrelsome person keeps an argument going.

²² The words of a gossip are like tasty bits of food.
    People take them all in.

²³ Kind words from a wicked mind
    are like a shiny coating on a clay pot.

²⁴ A person who hates you may fool you with his words.
    But in his mind he is planning evil.
²⁵ His words are kind, but don’t believe him.
    His mind is full of evil thoughts.
²⁶ He hides his hate with lies.
    But his evil will be plain to everyone.

²⁷ Whoever digs a deep trap for others will fall into it himself.
    Whoever tries to roll a boulder over others will be crushed by it.

²⁸ A liar hates the people he hurts.
    And false praise can ruin others.

“He gives freely to the poor.
    The things he does are right and will continue forever.” Psalm 112:9