Proverbs 25, side by side

¹These are additional proverbs of Solomon, which were copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:

¹These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.

²It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to search it out.

²It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

³As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be searched.

³The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.

⁴Remove the dross from the silver, and a vessel for a silversmith will come forth.

⁴Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.

⁵Remove the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.

⁵Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.

⁶Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the place of great men;

⁶Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men:

⁷for it is better that he says to you, “Come up here!” than that you should be demoted in the presence of the prince. Even what you have seen with your own eyes,

⁷For 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.

⁸do not bring hastily to court. Otherwise, what will you do in the end when your neighbor puts you to shame?

⁸Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.

⁹Argue your case with your neighbor without betraying another’s confidence,

⁹Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:

¹⁰lest the one who hears may disgrace you, and your infamy never go away.

¹⁰Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.

¹¹A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

¹¹A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

¹²Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.

¹²As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.

¹³Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.

¹³As 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.

¹⁴Like clouds and wind without rain is the man who boasts of gifts never given.

¹⁴Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.

¹⁵Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

¹⁵By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.

¹⁶If you find honey, eat just what you need, lest you have too much and vomit it up.

¹⁶Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.

¹⁷Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house, lest he grow weary and hate you.

¹⁷Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.

¹⁸Like a club or sword or sharp arrow is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.

¹⁸A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.

¹⁹Like a broken tooth or a foot out of joint is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble.

¹⁹Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.

²⁰Like one who removes a garment on a cold day or vinegar poured on a wound is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²⁰As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

²¹If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

²²For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.

²²For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.

²³As the north wind brings forth rain, so a backbiting tongue brings angry looks.

²³The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

²⁴Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

²⁴It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.

²⁵Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.

²⁵As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

²⁶Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.

²⁶A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.

²⁷It is not good to eat too much honey or to search out one’s own glory.

²⁷It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.

²⁸Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who does not control his temper.

²⁸He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.