Old/New Testament

² God’s glory is shown when He conceals things;
    a king’s glory is shown in his ability to explore the facts of the matter.
³ As the heights of heaven and the depths of earth are beyond comprehension,
    so are the hearts of kings.

⁴ Take away the impurities from the silver,
    and a good smith can create something of value;
⁵ Take away the wicked from among the king’s advisors,
    and his reign will be established with integrity.

⁶ Do not claim to be important in the presence of the king
    or vie for a position within the company of great men.
⁷ Truly, it is far sweeter to have someone of influence say to you, “Come up here and join us,”
    than to be ordered to some lower rank in front of a noble.
Just because you think you have seen something
⁸     doesn’t mean you should be quick to go to court,
For what will you do
    when your neighbor disproves the charge and embarrasses you?
⁹ Instead, discuss the matter directly with your neighbor,
    but in doing so, remember never to reveal another person’s secrets;
¹⁰ For if you do, someone who hears you could disgrace you,
    and a bad reputation will cling to you ever afterward.

¹¹ A well-spoken word at just the right moment
    is like golden apples in settings of silver.
¹² To an attentive ear, constructive criticism from a truly wise person
    is like an earring or jewelry made of fine gold.

¹³ Like a cooling snow that breaks the heat of a harvest day,
    so is the messenger who is faithful to those who sent him,
    for he refreshes the soul of his masters.

¹⁴ Like clouds and wind that bring no rain,
    so is one who boasts of gifts promised but never delivered.

¹⁵ Patience can soften up a leader,
    and a tender tongue can break even bone.

¹⁶ When you find honey, remember to eat only what you need,
    because if you eat in excess, you may be sick and lose all of it.
¹⁷ Don’t visit your neighbor too often,
    or he will become tired of you and grow to hate you.

¹⁸ Like a maul and a sword and a sharp arrow all in one,
    so is anyone who bears false witness against a neighbor.

¹⁹ Like a tooth that is rotten or a foot that is unsteady,
    so is relying on a person who can’t be trusted in times of trouble.

²⁰ Like a man who undresses in winter
    or a woman who pours vinegar on a wound,^[a]
So is anyone who tries to sing happy songs
    to a sorrowful heart.

²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink,
²² For your kind treatment will be like heaping hot coals on his head,^[b]
    it may cause a change in heart,
    and the Eternal will repay you.

²³ As surely as a north wind drives the rain before it,
    a backbiting tongue brings angry looks.

²⁴ It is better to dwell outside on the corner of your roof
    than to live inside your house with a badgering wife.

²⁵ Like cool water to a weary soul,
    so is good news from a distant country.

²⁶ Like a muddy spring or a polluted fountain,
    so is a righteous person who gives in to the wicked.

²⁷ Eating too much honey is not good for you,
    nor is it good to seek one honor after another.

²⁸ Like a conquered city with no walls,
    so is a man who has no self-control.

26 Like snow in the summer and rain in the time of harvest,
    so honor is never fitting for a fool.
² Like a bird that flits and flutters or a swallow in mid-flight,
    so a curse that lacks cause will never come to light.
³ A whip is for the horse, a bridle is for the donkey,
    and a rod is for the fool’s back.

⁴ Never answer a fool on his own foolish terms,
    or you will become like him;
⁵ Rather, answer a fool on his own foolish terms,
    or he will become wise in his own eyes.

⁶ Like someone who cuts off his feet or drinks to his ruin,
    so is the one who uses a fool to pass on his message.
⁷ As lame legs are useless, dangling on the crippled,
    so is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
⁸ Like one who ties a stone in his slingshot,
    so is one who honors a fool.
⁹ Like a thorn in the hand of a drunkard,
    so is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
¹⁰ Like an archer who shoots at random and injures everyone,
    so is a person who hires a fool or someone off the street.^[c]
11 Like a dog who goes back to his own vomit,^[d]
    so is a fool who always returns to his foolishness.

¹² Have you seen a person who is wise in his own sight?
    Know that there is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³ A lazy person says, “There’s a lion in the road!
    A lion in the streets!
    Another good reason to stay in today.”
¹⁴ As a door swings on its hinges and goes nowhere,
    so a slacker turns over in his bed.
¹⁵ Some people are so lazy that they reach for food on the plate
    but lack the will to bring it up to their mouths.
¹⁶ The slacker sees himself as wiser by far
    than seven men who can converse intelligently.

¹⁷ Like a man who seizes a wild dog by the ears,
    so is anyone who walks by and meddles in someone else’s argument.
¹⁸ Like a madman who hurls flaming spears and shoots deadly arrows,
¹⁹ So is anyone who deceives a neighbor
    and then says, “But I was only joking with you.”

²⁰ When there is no wood, the fire goes out;
    when there is no one to spread gossip, arguing stops.
²¹ Like charcoal to smoldering embers and dry wood to a fire,
    so a hot-tempered man kindles strife.
²² Whispered gossip is like a delicious first course:
    it is devoured with pleasure and then penetrates deep within you.

²³ Like a shiny glaze^[e] coating a rough clay pot,
    so are burning lips that conceal an evil heart.
²⁴ One who hates may camouflage it beneath pleasant words,
    but deep inside him, treachery still rages;
²⁵ Don’t believe him when he speaks kindly
    because his heart is completely ruled by evil.^[f]

²⁶ And though he covers his hatred with cleverness,
    his wicked ways will be publicly exposed.
²⁷ The one who digs a trap for another will fall into it,
    and the one who starts rolling a stone will have it roll back over him.
²⁸ Liars take no pity on those they crush with their lies,
    and flattery spoils everyone it touches.

He scattered abroad; He gave freely to the poor;
    His righteousness endures throughout the ages.^[b]