Proverbs 25

HCSB

Proverbs 25

Hezekiah’s Collection

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These too are proverbs of Solomon,^(A)
which the men of Hezekiah,^(B) king of Judah, copied.

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It is the glory of God to conceal a matter^(C)
and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.

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As the heaven is high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated.

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Remove impurities from silver,^(D)
and a vessel will be produced^(a) for a silversmith.^(E)

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Remove the wicked from the king’s presence,^(F)
and his throne will be established in righteousness.^(G)

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Don’t brag about yourself before the king,
and don’t stand in the place of the great;

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for it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here!”
than to demote you in plain view of a noble.^(b)^(H)

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Don’t take a matter to court hastily.^(I)
Otherwise, what will you do afterward
if your opponent^(c) humiliates you?

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Make your case with your opponent^(d)
without revealing another’s secret;^(J)

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otherwise, the one who hears will disgrace you,
and you’ll never live it down.^(e)

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A word spoken at the right time
is like gold apples on a silver tray.^(f)^(K)

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A wise correction to a receptive ear^(L)
is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.

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To those who send him, a trustworthy messenger
is like the coolness of snow on a harvest day;
he refreshes the life of his masters.^(M)

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The man who boasts about a gift that does not exist
is like clouds and wind without rain.^(N)

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A ruler can be persuaded through patience,
and a gentle tongue can break a bone.^(O)

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If you find honey,^(P) eat only what you need;
otherwise, you’ll get sick from it and vomit.^(Q)

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Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house;
otherwise, he’ll get sick of you and hate you.

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A man giving false testimony against his neighbor^(R)
is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.^(S)

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Trusting an unreliable person in a difficult time
is like a rotten tooth or a faltering foot.^(T)

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Singing songs to a troubled heart
is like taking off clothing on a cold day
or like pouring vinegar on soda.^(g)^(U)

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If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;^(V)

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for you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.^(W)

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The north wind produces rain,
and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.

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Better to live on the corner of a roof
than to share a house with a nagging wife.^(X)

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Good news from a distant land
is like cold water to a parched throat.^(h)^(Y)

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A righteous person who yields to the wicked^(Z)
is like a muddied spring or a polluted well.^(AA)

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It is not good to eat too much honey^(AB)
or to seek glory after glory.⁽ⁱ⁾^(AC)

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A man who does not control his temper^(AD)
is like a city whose wall is broken down.^(AE)

Footnotes:

a. Proverbs 25:4: Lit will come out; Ex 32:24

b. Proverbs 25:7: Lit you before a noble whom your eyes see

c. Proverbs 25:8: Or neighbor

d. Proverbs 25:9: Or neighbor

e. Proverbs 25:10: Lit and your evil report will not turn back

f. Proverbs 25:11: Or like apples of gold in settings of silver

g. Proverbs 25:20: Lit natron, or sodium carbonate

h. Proverbs 25:25: Or a weary person

i. Proverbs 25:27: Lit seek their glory, glory

Cross references:

A. Proverbs 25:1: Proverbs 1:1

B. Proverbs 25:1: 2 Kings 1:18-20

C. Proverbs 25:2: Deuteronomy 29:29; Romans 11:33

D. Proverbs 25:4: Ezekiel 22:18; Malachi 3:2-3

E. Proverbs 25:4: 2 Timothy 2:21

F. Proverbs 25:5: Proverbs 20:8; Proverbs 20:26

G. Proverbs 25:5: Proverbs 16:12

H. Proverbs 25:7: Luke 14:7-11

I. Proverbs 25:8: Proverbs 17:14; Matthew 5:25; 1 Corinthians 6:7

J. Proverbs 25:9: Proverbs 17:9; Matthew 18:15

K. Proverbs 25:11: Proverbs 8:10; Proverbs 15:23; Proverbs 16:16

L. Proverbs 25:12: Proverbs 15:31

M. Proverbs 25:13: Proverbs 13:17; Proverbs 16:24; Proverbs 25:25

N. Proverbs 25:14: Jude 1:12

O. Proverbs 25:15: Proverbs 15:1; Proverbs 16:14; Proverbs 16:32; Ecclesiastes 10:4

P. Proverbs 25:16: Judges 14:8

Q. Proverbs 25:16: Proverbs 25:27

R. Proverbs 25:18: Exodus 20:16; Proverbs 24:28

S. Proverbs 25:18: Psalm 57:4; Proverbs 12:18

T. Proverbs 25:19: 2 Kings 18:21

U. Proverbs 25:20: Romans 12:15

V. Proverbs 25:21: Exodus 23:4-5; 2 Chronicles 28:15; Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:20

W. Proverbs 25:22: Matthew 6:4

X. Proverbs 25:24: Proverbs 15:17; Proverbs 17:1; Proverbs 21:9; Proverbs 21:19

Y. Proverbs 25:25: Proverbs 15:30

Z. Proverbs 25:26: Deuteronomy 13:6-8

AA. Proverbs 25:26: Ezekiel 32:2; Ezekiel 34:18-19

AB. Proverbs 25:27: Proverbs 25:16

AC. Proverbs 25:27: Proverbs 27:2

AD. Proverbs 25:28: Proverbs 16:32; Proverbs 29:11

AE. Proverbs 25:28: Nehemiah 1:3