July 23

Proverbs 25:1 — 28:28

25 These also are the proverbs of Solomon that the men of Hezekiah the king of Judah transcribed:
      2 The glory of God is the keeping of a matter secret, and the glory of kings is the searching through a matter.
      3 The heavens for height and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings, that is unsearchable.
      4 Let there be a removing of scummy dross from the silver, and all of it will come forth refined.
      5 Let there be the removing of the wicked one before the king, and his throne will be firmly established by righteousness itself.
      6 Do not do yourself honor before the king, and in the place of great ones do not stand. 7 For it is better [for him] to say to you: “Come up here,” than to abase you before a noble whom your eyes have seen.
      8 Do not go forth to conduct a legal case hastily, that it may not be a question of what you will do in the culmination of it when your fellowman now humiliates you. 9 Plead your own cause with your fellowman, and do not reveal the confidential talk of another; 10 that the one listening may not put you to shame and the bad report by you can have no recall.
      11 As apples of gold in silver carvings is a word spoken at the right time for it.
      12 An earring of gold, and an ornament of special gold, is a wise reprover upon the hearing ear.
      13 Just like the coolness of snow in the day of harvest is the faithful envoy to those sending him, for he restores the very soul of his masters.
      14 As vaporous clouds and a wind without any downpour is a man boasting himself about a gift in falsehood.
      15 By patience a commander is induced, and a mild tongue itself can break a bone.
      16 Is it honey that you have found? Eat what is sufficient for you, that you may not take too much of it and have to vomit it up.
      17 Make your foot rare at the house of your fellowman, that he may not have his sufficiency of you and certainly hate you.
      18 As a war club and a sword and a sharpened arrow is a man testifying against his fellowman as a false witness.
      19 As a broken tooth and a wobbling foot is the confidence in one proving treacherous in the day of distress.
      20 He that is removing a garment on a cold day is as vinegar upon alkali and as a singer with songs upon a gloomy heart.
      21 If the one hating you is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. 22 For coals are what you are raking together upon his head, and Jehovah himself will reward you.
      23 The wind from the north brings forth as with labor pains a downpour; and a tongue [giving away] a secret, a denounced face.
      24 Better is it to dwell upon a corner of a roof than with a contentious wife, although in a house in common.
      25 As cold water upon a tired soul, so is a good report from a distant land.
      26 A fouled spring and a ruined well is the righteous one when staggering before the wicked one.
      27 The eating of too much honey is not good; and for people to search out their own glory, is it glory?
      28 As a city broken through, without a wall, is the man that has no restraint for his spirit.

26 Like snow in summer and like rain in harvesttime, so glory is not fitting for a stupid one.
      2 Just as a bird has cause for fleeing [and] just as a swallow for flying, so a malediction itself does not come without real cause.
      3 A whip is for the horse, a bridle is for the ass, and the rod is for the back of stupid people.
      4 Do not answer anyone stupid according to his foolishness, that you yourself also may not become equal to him.
      5 Answer someone stupid according to his foolishness, that he may not become someone wise in his own eyes.
      6 As one that is mutilating [his] feet, as one that is drinking mere violence, is he that is thrusting matters into the hand of someone stupid.
      7 Have the legs of the lame one drawn up water? Then there is a proverb in the mouth of stupid people.
      8 Like one shutting up a stone in a heap of stones, so is the one giving glory to a mere stupid one.
      9 As a thorny weed has come up into the hand of a drunkard, so a proverb into the mouth of stupid people.
      10 As an archer piercing everything is the one hiring someone stupid or the one hiring passersby.
      11 Just like a dog returning to its vomit, the stupid one is repeating his foolishness.
      12 Have you seen a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for the stupid one than for him.
      13 The lazy one has said: “There is a young lion in the way, a lion in among the public squares.”
      14 A door keeps turning upon its pivot, and the lazy one upon his couch.
      15 The lazy one has hidden his hand in the banquet bowl; he has become too weary to bring it back to his mouth.
      16 The lazy one is wiser in his own eyes than seven giving a sensible reply.
      17 As one grabbing hold of the ears of a dog is anyone passing by that is becoming furious at the quarrel that is not his.
      18 Just like someone mad that is shooting fiery missiles, arrows and death, 19 so is the man that has tricked his fellowman and has said: “Was I not having fun?”
      20 Where there is no wood the fire goes out, and where there is no slanderer contention grows still.
      21 As charcoal for the embers and wood for the fire, so is a contentious man for causing a quarrel to glow.
      22 The words of a slanderer are like things to be swallowed greedily, which do go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
      23 As a silver glazing overlaid upon a fragment of earthenware are fervent lips along with a bad heart.
      24 With his lips the hater makes himself unrecognizable, but inside of him he puts deception. 25 Although he makes his voice gracious, do not believe in him, for there are seven detestable things in his heart. 26 Hatred is covered over by deceit. His badness will be uncovered in the congregation.
      27 He that is excavating a pit will fall into the same, and he that is rolling away a stone—back to him it will return.
      28 A tongue that is false hates the one crushed by it, and a flattering mouth causes an overthrow.


27 Do not make your boast about the next day, for you do not know what a day will give birth to.
      2 May a stranger, and not your own mouth, praise you; may a foreigner, and not your own lips, do so.
      3 The heaviness of a stone and a load of sand—but the vexation by someone foolish is heavier than both of them.
      4 There is the cruelty of rage, also the flood of anger, but who can stand before jealousy?
      5 Better is a revealed reproof than a concealed love.
      6 The wounds inflicted by a lover are faithful, but the kisses of a hater are things to be entreated.
      7 A soul that is satisfied will tread down comb honey, but to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
      8 Just like a bird fleeing away from its nest, so is a man fleeing away from his place.
      9 Oil and incense are what make the heart rejoice, also the sweetness of one’s companion due to the counsel of the soul.
      10 Do not leave your own companion or the companion of your father, and do not enter the house of your own brother on the day of your disaster. Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother that is far away.
      11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart rejoice, that I may make a reply to him that is taunting me.
      12 The shrewd one that has seen the calamity has concealed himself; the inexperienced that have passed along have suffered the penalty.
      13 Take one’s garment, in case one has gone surety for a stranger; and in the instance of a foreign woman, seize from him a pledge.
      14 He that is blessing his fellowman with a loud voice early in the morning, as a malediction it will be accounted on his part.
      15 A leaking roof that drives one away in the day of a steady rain and a contentious wife are comparable. 16 Anyone sheltering her has sheltered the wind, and oil is what his right hand encounters.
      17 By iron, iron itself is sharpened. So one man sharpens the face of another.
      18 He that is safeguarding the fig tree will himself eat its fruit, and he that is guarding his master will be honored.
      19 As in water face corresponds with face, so the heart of a man with [that of] a man.
      20 Sheol and [the place of] destruction themselves do not get satisfied; neither do the eyes of a man get satisfied.
      21 The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace is for gold; and an individual is according to his praise.
      22 Even if you should pound the foolish one fine with a pestle in a mortar, in among cracked grain, his foolishness will not depart from him.
      23 You ought to know positively the appearance of your flock. Set your heart to your droves; 24 for treasure will not be to time indefinite, nor a diadem for all generations.
      25 The green grass has departed, and the new grass has appeared, and the vegetation of the mountains has been gathered. 26 The young rams are for your clothing, and the he-goats are the price of the field. 27 And there is a sufficiency of goats’ milk for your food, for the food of your household, and the means of life for your girls.

28 The wicked do flee when there is no pursuer, but the righteous are like a young lion that is confident.
      2 Because of the transgression of a land many are its [successive] princes, but by a discerning man having knowledge of right [the prince] will remain long.
      3 An able-bodied man that is of little means and that is defrauding the lowly ones is as a rain that washes away so that there is no food.
      4 Those who are leaving the law praise the wicked one, but those who are keeping the law excite themselves against them.
      5 Men given to badness cannot understand judgment, but those who are seeking Jehovah can understand everything.
      6 Better is the one of little means who is walking in his integrity than anyone crooked in [his] ways, although he is rich.
      7 An understanding son is observing the law, but one having companionship with gluttons humiliates his father.
      8 He that is multiplying his valuables by interest and usury collects them merely for the one showing favor to the lowly ones.
      9 He that is turning his ear away from hearing the law—even his prayer is something detestable.
      10 He that is causing the upright ones to go astray into the bad way will himself fall into his own pit, but the faultless ones themselves will come into possession of good.
      11 A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but the lowly one who is discerning searches him through.
      12 When the righteous ones are exulting, there is abundant beauty; but when the wicked ones rise up, a man disguises himself.
      13 He that is covering over his transgressions will not succeed, but he that is confessing and leaving [them] will be shown mercy.
      14 Happy is the man that is feeling dread constantly, but he that is hardening his heart will fall into calamity.
      15 As a growling lion and an onrushing bear is a wicked ruler over a lowly people.
      16 A leader that is in want of true discernment is also abundant in fraudulent practices, but he that is hating unjust profit will prolong [his] days.
      17 A man burdened with the bloodguilt for a soul will himself flee even to the pit. Let them not get hold of him.
      18 He that is walking faultless will be saved, but he that is made crooked in [his] ways will fall at once.
      19 He that is cultivating his own ground will have his sufficiency of bread, and he that is pursuing valueless things will have his sufficiency of poverty.
      20 A man of faithful acts will get many blessings, but he that is hastening to gain riches will not remain innocent.
      21 The showing of partiality is not good, nor that an able-bodied man should transgress over a mere piece of bread.
      22 A man of envious eye is bestirring himself after valuable things, but he does not know that want itself will come upon him.
      23 He that is reproving a man will afterward find more favor than he will that is flattering with his tongue.
      24 He that is robbing his father and his mother and is saying: “It is no transgression,” is a partner of a man causing ruination.
      25 He that is arrogant in soul stirs up contention, but he that is relying upon Jehovah will be made fat.
      26 He that is trusting in his own heart is stupid, but he that is walking in wisdom is the one that will escape.
      27 He that is giving to the one of little means will have no want, but he that is hiding his eyes will get many curses.
      28 When the wicked rise up, a man conceals himself; but when they perish, the righteous become many.