Proverbes 25

¹ Also these are Proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed: -- ² The honour of God [is] to hide a thing, And the honour of kings to search out a matter. ³ The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings -- [are] unsearchable. ⁴ Take away dross from silver, And a vessel for the refiner goeth forth, ⁵ Take away the wicked before a king, And established in righteousness is his throne. ⁶ Honour not thyself before a king, And in the place of the great stand not. ⁷ For better [that] he hath said to thee, `Come thou up hither,' Than [that] he humble thee before a noble, Whom thine eyes have seen. ⁸ Go not forth to strive, haste, turn, What dost thou in its latter end, When thy neighbour causeth thee to blush? ⁹ Thy cause plead with thy neighbour, And the secret counsel of another reveal not, ¹⁰ Lest the hearer put thee to shame, And thine evil report turn not back. ¹¹ Apples of gold in imagery of silver, [Is] the word spoken at its fit times. ¹² A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, [Is] the wise reprover to an attentive ear. ¹³ As a vessel of snow in a day of harvest, [So is] a faithful ambassador to those sending him, And the soul of his masters he refresheth. ¹⁴ Clouds and wind, and rain there is none, [Is] a man boasting himself in a false gift. ¹⁵ By long-suffering is a ruler persuaded, And a soft tongue breaketh a bone. ¹⁶ Honey thou hast found -- eat thy sufficiency, Lest thou be satiated [with] it, and hast vomited it. ¹⁷ Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house, Lest he be satiated [with] thee, and have hated thee. ¹⁸ A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, [Is] the man testifying against his neighbour a false testimony. ¹⁹ A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, [Is] the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity. ²⁰ Whoso is taking away a garment in a cold day, [Is as] vinegar on nitre, And a singer of songs on a sad heart. ²¹ If he who is hating thee doth hunger, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirst, cause him to drink water. ²² For coals thou art putting on his head, And Jehovah giveth recompense to thee. ²³ A north wind bringeth forth rain, And a secret tongue -- indignant faces. ²⁴ Better to sit on a corner of a roof, Than [with] a woman of contentions, and a house of company. ²⁵ [As] cold waters for a weary soul, So [is] a good report from a far country. ²⁶ A spring troubled, and a fountain corrupt, [Is] the righteous falling before the wicked. ²⁷ The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one's own honour -- honour. ²⁸ A city broken down without walls, [Is] a man without restraint over his spirit!