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| [1]THESE are also profound proverbs of Solomon which the friends of Hezekiah king of Judah wrote |
[1]Also these are Proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed: -- |
| [2]It is the glory of God to keep secret a matter; but the glory of the king is to search it out. |
[2]The honour of God [is] to hide a thing, And the honour of kings to search out a matter. |
| [3]The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of the king is unsearchable |
[3]The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings -- [are] unsearchable. |
| [4]Purge dross from silver that it may come forth a pure vessel. |
[4]Take away dross from silver, And a vessel for the refiner goeth forth, |
| [5]Let wicked men be driven from the presence of the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness |
[5]Take away the wicked before a king, And established in righteousness is his throne. |
| [6]Do not glorify yourself in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the place of great men; |
[6]Honour not thyself before a king, And in the place of the great stand not. |
| [7]For it is better that it be said to you, Come up higher, than that you should be put lower. In the presence of the ruler report what your eyes have seen |
[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]Do not go forth hastily to bring a suit, lest when you plead your cause, at the end your neighbor shall reproach you. |
[8]Go not forth to strive, haste, turn, What dost thou in its latter end, When thy neighbour causeth thee to blush? |
| [9]Debate your cause with your neighbor himself; and do not disclose the secret to another, |
[9]Thy cause plead with thy neighbour, And the secret counsel of another reveal not, |
| [10]Lest he who hears it reproach you and many people mock you |
[10]Lest the hearer put thee to shame, And thine evil report turn not back. |
| [11]A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. |
[11]Apples of gold in imagery of silver, [Is] the word spoken at its fit times. |
| [12]Like an earring of gold, and a precious sardius, so is the reproof of the wise men to a listening ear |
[12]A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, [Is] the wise reprover to an attentive ear. |
| [13]Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest, which cools the air, so is a faithful messenger to those who send him; for he refreshes the soul of his masters |
[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]Like clouds and wind without rain, so is the man who boasts of false gifts |
[14]Clouds and wind, and rain there is none, [Is] a man boasting himself in a false gift. |
| [15]By long forbearing, a ruler is persuaded; and a soft tongue breaks the bones |
[15]By long-suffering is a ruler persuaded, And a soft tongue breaketh a bone. |
| [16]When you find honey, eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest you be filled with it and vomit it |
[16]Honey thou hast found -- eat thy sufficiency, Lest thou be satiated [with] it, and hast vomited it. |
| [17]Do not visit your neighbor's house too frequently, lest he become weary of you and so hate you |
[17]Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house, Lest he be satiated [with] thee, and have hated thee. |
| [18]A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like an iron bar, a sword, and a sharp arrow |
[18]A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, [Is] the man testifying against his neighbour a false testimony. |
| [19]Like a sore tooth and a foot out of joint, such is the confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble |
[19]A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, [Is] the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity. |
| [20]As he who takes away a garment from his neighbor in cold weather, as one who drops sand on the string of a musical instrument, as he who afflicts a broken heart, as a moth on a garment, and as a boring-worm on a tree: such is the effect of sorrow on a man's heart |
[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 your enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink; |
[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 when you shall do these things for him, you will heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD will reward you |
[22]For coals thou art putting on his head, And Jehovah giveth recompense to thee. |
| [23]Like the north wind which brings forth rain, so are an evil countenance and a backbiting tongue |
[23]A north wind bringeth forth rain, And a secret tongue -- indignant faces. |
| [24]It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop than with a quarrelsome wife and a house divided against itself |
[24]Better to sit on a corner of a roof, Than [with] a woman of contentions, and a house of company. |
| [25]Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country |
[25][As] cold waters for a weary soul, So [is] a good report from a far country. |
| [26]Like a stopped fountain or a polluted spring is a righteous man when he falls down before the wicked |
[26]A spring troubled, and a fountain corrupt, [Is] the righteous falling before the wicked. |
| [27]It is not good to eat much honey, nor to search for high praises for oneself |
[27]The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one's own honour -- honour. |
| [28]Like a breached city that has no wall, so is a man who is impatient |
[28]A city broken down without walls, [Is] a man without restraint over his spirit! |