25:1Also these are Proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed: --

25:2The honour of God is to hide a thing, And the honour of kings to search out a matter.

25:3The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings -- are unsearchable.

25:4Take away dross from silver, And a vessel for the refiner goeth forth,

25:5Take away the wicked before a king, And established in righteousness is his throne.

25:6Honour not thyself before a king, And in the place of the great stand not.

25:7For better that he hath said to thee, `Come thou up hither,' Than that he humble thee before a noble, Whom thine eyes have seen.

25:8Go not forth to strive, haste, turn, What dost thou in its latter end, When thy neighbour causeth thee to blush?

25:9Thy cause plead with thy neighbour, And the secret counsel of another reveal not,

25:10Lest the hearer put thee to shame, And thine evil report turn not back.

25:11Apples of gold in imagery of silver, Is the word spoken at its fit times.

25:12A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, Is the wise reprover to an attentive ear.

25:13As 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.

25:14Clouds and wind, and rain there is none, Is a man boasting himself in a false gift.

25:15By long-suffering is a ruler persuaded, And a soft tongue breaketh a bone.

25:16Honey thou hast found -- eat thy sufficiency, Lest thou be satiated with it, and hast vomited it.

25:17Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house, Lest he be satiated with thee, and have hated thee.

25:18A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, Is the man testifying against his neighbour a false testimony.

25:19A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, Is the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity.

25:20Whoso is taking away a garment in a cold day, Is as vinegar on nitre, And a singer of songs on a sad heart.

25:21If he who is hating thee doth hunger, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirst, cause him to drink water.

25:22For coals thou art putting on his head, And Jehovah giveth recompense to thee.

25:23A north wind bringeth forth rain, And a secret tongue -- indignant faces.

25:24Better to sit on a corner of a roof, Than with a woman of contentions, and a house of company.

25:25As cold waters for a weary soul, So is a good report from a far country.

25:26A spring troubled, and a fountain corrupt, Is the righteous falling before the wicked.

25:27The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one's own honour -- honour.

25:28A city broken down without walls, Is a man without restraint over his spirit!

26:1As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honour is not comely for a fool.

26:2As a bird by wandering, as a swallow by flying, So reviling without cause doth not come.

26:3A whip is for a horse, a bridle for an ass, And a rod for the back of fools.

26:4Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou be like to him -- even thou.

26:5Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

26:6He is cutting off feet, he is drinking injury, Who is sending things by the hand of a fool.

26:7Weak have been the two legs of the lame, And a parable in the mouth of fools.

26:8As one who is binding a stone in a sling, So is he who is giving honour to a fool.

26:9A thorn hath gone up into the hand of a drunkard, And a parable in the mouth of fools.

26:10Great is the Former of all, And He is rewarding a fool, And is rewarding transgressors.

26:11As a dog hath returned to its vomit, A fool is repeating his folly.

26:12Thou hast seen a man wise in his own eyes, More hope of a fool than of him!

26:13The slothful hath said, `A lion is in the way, A lion is in the broad places.'

26:14The door turneth round on its hinge, And the slothful on his bed.

26:15The slothful hath hid his hand in a dish, He is weary of bringing it back to his mouth.

26:16Wiser is the slothful in his own eyes, Than seven men returning a reason.

26:17Laying hold on the ears of a dog, Is a passer-by making himself wrath for strife not his own.

26:18As one pretending to be feeble, Who is casting sparks, arrows, and death,

26:19So hath a man deceived his neighbour, And hath said, `Am not I playing?'

26:20Without wood is fire going out, And without a tale-bearer, contention ceaseth,

26:21Coal to burning coals, and wood to fire, And a man of contentions to kindle strife.

26:22The words of a tale-bearer are as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down to the inner parts of the heart.

26:23Silver of dross spread over potsherd, Are burning lips and an evil heart.

26:24By his lips doth a hater dissemble, And in his heart he placeth deceit,

26:25When his voice is gracious trust not in him, For seven abominations are in his heart.

26:26Hatred is covered by deceit, Revealed is its wickedness in an assembly.

26:27Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And the roller of a stone, to him it turneth.

26:28A lying tongue hateth its bruised ones, And a flattering mouth worketh an overthrow!

27:1Boast not thyself of to-morrow, For thou knowest not what a day bringeth forth.

27:2Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth, A stranger, and not thine own lips.

27:3A stone is heavy, and the sand is heavy, And the anger of a fool Is heavier than they both.

27:4Fury is fierce, and anger is overflowing, And who standeth before jealousy?

27:5Better is open reproof than hidden love.

27:6Faithful are the wounds of a lover, And abundant the kisses of an enemy.

27:7A satiated soul treadeth down a honeycomb, And to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

27:8As a bird wandering from her nest, So is a man wandering from his place.

27:9Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, And the sweetness of one's friend -- from counsel of the soul.

27:10Thine own friend, and the friend of thy father, forsake not, And the house of thy brother enter not In a day of thy calamity, Better is a near neighbour than a brother afar off.

27:11Be wise, my son, and rejoice my heart. And I return my reproacher a word.

27:12The prudent hath seen the evil, he is hidden, The simple have passed on, they are punished.

27:13Take his garment, when a stranger hath been surety, And for a strange woman pledge it.

27:14Whoso is saluting his friend with a loud voice, In the morning rising early, A light thing it is reckoned to him.

27:15A continual dropping in a day of rain, And a woman of contentions are alike,

27:16Whoso is hiding her hath hidden the wind, And the ointment of his right hand calleth out.

27:17Iron by iron is sharpened, And a man sharpens the face of his friend.

27:18The keeper of a fig-tree eateth its fruit, And the preserver of his master is honoured.

27:19As in water the face is to face, So the heart of man to man.

27:20Sheol and destruction are not satisfied, And the eyes of man are not satisfied.

27:21A refining pot is for silver, and a furnace for gold, And a man according to his praise.

27:22If thou dost beat the foolish in a mortar, Among washed things -- with a pestle, His folly turneth not aside from off him.

27:23Know well the face of thy flock, Set thy heart to the droves,

27:24For riches are not to the age, Nor a crown to generation and generation.

27:25Revealed was the hay, and seen the tender grass, And gathered the herbs of mountains.

27:26Lambs are for thy clothing, And the price of the field are he-goats,

27:27And a sufficiency of goats' milk is for thy bread, For bread to thy house, and life to thy damsels!

28:1The wicked have fled and there is no pursuer. And the righteous as a young lion is confident.

28:2By the transgression of a land many are its heads. And by an intelligent man, Who knoweth right -- it is prolonged.

28:3A man -- poor and oppressing the weak, Is a sweeping rain, and there is no bread.

28:4Those forsaking the law praise the wicked, Those keeping the law plead against them.

28:5Evil men understand not judgment, And those seeking Jehovah understand all.

28:6Better is the poor walking in his integrity, Than the perverse of ways who is rich.

28:7Whoso is keeping the law is an intelligent son, And a friend of gluttons, Doth cause his father to blush.

28:8Whoso is multiplying his wealth by biting and usury, For one favouring the poor doth gather it.

28:9Whoso is turning his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.

28:10Whoso is causing the upright to err in an evil way, Into his own pit he doth fall, And the perfect do inherit good.

28:11A rich man is wise in his own eyes, And the intelligent poor searcheth him.

28:12In the exulting of the righteous the glory is abundant, And in the rising of the wicked man is apprehensive.

28:13Whoso is covering his transgressions prospereth not, And he who is confessing and forsaking hath mercy.

28:14O the happiness of a man fearing continually, And whoso is hardening his heart falleth into evil.

28:15A growling lion, and a ranging bear, Is the wicked ruler over a poor people.

28:16A leader lacking understanding multiplieth oppressions, Whoso is hating dishonest gain prolongeth days.

28:17A man oppressed with the blood of a soul, Unto the pit fleeth, none taketh hold on him.

28:18Whoso is walking uprightly is saved, And the perverted of ways falleth at once.

28:19Whoso is tilling his ground is satisfied with bread, And whoso is pursuing vanity, Is filled with poverty.

28:20A stedfast man hath multiplied blessings, And whoso is hasting to be rich is not acquitted.

28:21To discern faces is not good, And for a piece of bread doth a man transgress.

28:22Troubled for wealth is the man with an evil eye, And he knoweth not that want doth meet him.

28:23Whoso is reproving a man afterwards findeth grace, More than a flatterer with the tongue.

28:24Whoso is robbing his father, or his mother, And is saying, `It is not transgression,' A companion he is to a destroyer.

28:25Whoso is proud in soul stirreth up contention, And whoso is trusting on Jehovah is made fat.

28:26Whoso is trusting in his heart is a fool, And whoso is walking in wisdom is delivered.

28:27Whoso is giving to the poor hath no lack, And whoso is hiding his eyes multiplied curses.

28:28In the rising of the wicked a man is hidden, And in their destruction the righteous multiply!