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Proverbs 25

Holman Christian Standard Bible, 2009 (HCSB)

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¹ These too are proverbs of Solomon, ⓐ which the men of Hezekiah, ⓑ king of Judah, copied.

² It is the glory of God to conceal a matter ⓒ and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.

³ As the heaven is high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated.

⁴ Remove impurities from silver, ⓓ and a vessel will be produced [1] for a silversmith. ⓔ

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

⁶ Don’t brag about yourself before the king, and don’t stand in the place of the great;

⁷ for it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here!” than to demote you in plain view of a noble. [2] ⓗ

⁸ Don’t take a matter to court hastily. ⓘ Otherwise, what will you do afterward if your opponent [3] humiliates you?

⁹ Make your case with your opponent [4] without revealing another’s secret; ⓙ

¹⁰ otherwise, the one who hears will disgrace you, and you’ll never live it down. [5]

¹¹ A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples on a silver tray. [6] ⓚ

¹² A wise correction to a receptive ear ⓛ is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.

¹³ 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. ⓜ

¹⁴ The man who boasts about a gift that does not exist is like clouds and wind without rain. ⓝ

¹⁵ A ruler can be persuaded through patience, and a gentle tongue can break a bone. ⓞ

¹⁶ If you find honey, ⓟ eat only what you need; otherwise, you’ll get sick from it and vomit. ⓠ

¹⁷ Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house; otherwise, he’ll get sick of you and hate you.

¹⁸ A man giving false testimony against his neighbor ⓡ is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow. ⓢ

¹⁹ Trusting an unreliable person in a difficult time is like a rotten tooth or a faltering foot. ⓣ

²⁰ Singing songs to a troubled heart is like taking off clothing on a cold day or like pouring vinegar on soda. [7] ⓤ

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

²² for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. ⓦ

²³ The north wind produces rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.

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

²⁵ Good news from a distant land is like cold water to a parched throat. [8] ⓨ

²⁶ A righteous person who yields to the wicked ⓩ is like a muddied spring or a polluted well. ⓐ

²⁸ A man who does not control his temper ⓓ is like a city whose wall is broken down. ⓔ

#	HCSB
1	These too are proverbs of Solomon, ⓐ which the men of Hezekiah, ⓑ king of Judah, copied.
2	It is the glory of God to conceal a matter ⓒ and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.
3	As the heaven is high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated.
4	Remove impurities from silver, ⓓ and a vessel will be produced [1] for a silversmith. ⓔ
5	Remove the wicked from the king’s presence, ⓕ and his throne will be established in righteousness. ⓖ
6	Don’t brag about yourself before the king, and don’t stand in the place of the great;
7	for it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here!” than to demote you in plain view of a noble. [2] ⓗ
8	Don’t take a matter to court hastily. ⓘ Otherwise, what will you do afterward if your opponent [3] humiliates you?
9	Make your case with your opponent [4] without revealing another’s secret; ⓙ
10	otherwise, the one who hears will disgrace you, and you’ll never live it down. [5]
11	A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples on a silver tray. [6] ⓚ
12	A wise correction to a receptive ear ⓛ is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.
13	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. ⓜ
14	The man who boasts about a gift that does not exist is like clouds and wind without rain. ⓝ
15	A ruler can be persuaded through patience, and a gentle tongue can break a bone. ⓞ
16	If you find honey, ⓟ eat only what you need; otherwise, you’ll get sick from it and vomit. ⓠ
17	Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house; otherwise, he’ll get sick of you and hate you.
18	A man giving false testimony against his neighbor ⓡ is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow. ⓢ
19	Trusting an unreliable person in a difficult time is like a rotten tooth or a faltering foot. ⓣ
20	Singing songs to a troubled heart is like taking off clothing on a cold day or like pouring vinegar on soda. [7] ⓤ
21	If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; ⓥ
22	for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. ⓦ
23	The north wind produces rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.
24	Better to live on the corner of a roof than to share a house with a nagging wife. ⓧ
25	Good news from a distant land is like cold water to a parched throat. [8] ⓨ
26	A righteous person who yields to the wicked ⓩ is like a muddied spring or a polluted well. ⓐ
27	It is not good to eat too much honey ⓑ or to seek glory after glory. [9] ⓒ
28	A man who does not control his temper ⓓ is like a city whose wall is broken down. ⓔ

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