1 These also aremSee ch. 1:1 proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.
2 It is the glory of God ton[Deut. 29:29; Rom. 11:33] conceal things,
but the glory of kings is tooJob 29:16 search things out.
3 As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth,
so the heart of kings isp[Ps. 145:3] unsearchable.
4 Take awayq[Ezek. 22:18; 2 Tim. 2:20, 21] the dross from the silver,
andr[Mal. 3:2, 3] the smith has material for a vessel;
5 take aways[ch. 20:8] the wicked from the presence of the king,
and histSee ch. 16:12 throne will be established in righteousness.
6 Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence
or stand in the place of the great,
7 foruSee Luke 14:8-11 it is better to be told, “Come up here, ”
than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.
What your eyes have seen
8 wMatt. 5:25; Luke 12:58; [ch. 17:14] do not hastily bring into court,
for what will you do in the end,
when your neighbor puts you to shame?
9 xMatt. 18:15 Argue your case with your neighbor himself,
and do not reveal another's secret,
10 lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,
and your ill repute have no end.
11 ych. 15:23; [Isa. 50:4] A word fitly spoken
is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
12 Likez[Gen. 24:22] a gold ring or an ornament of gold
is a wise reprover toach. 15:31; 20:12 a listening ear.
13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
isbch. 13:17 a faithful messenger to those who send him;
he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 LikecJude 12 clouds and wind without rain
is a man whodch. 20:6 boasts of a gift he does not give.
15 Withech. 15:1; 16:14; [Eccles. 10:4] patience a ruler may be persuaded,
and a soft tongue will break a bone.
16 If you havef[Judg. 14:8; 1 Sam. 14:25] found honey, eatg[ver. 27] only enough for you,
lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.
17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house,
lest he have his fill of you and hate you.
18 A man whoh[ch. 24:28] bears false witness against his neighbor
is like a war club, orich. 12:18; See Ps. 57:4 a sword, or a sharp arrow.
19 Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble
is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.
20 Whoeverj[Rom. 12:15] sings songs to a heavy heart
is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,
and like vinegar on soda.
21 kCited Rom. 12:20; [2 Kgs. 6:22; 2 Chr. 28:15]; See Ex. 23:4, 5 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
22 for you will heaplPs. 140:10 burning coals on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.
23 The north wind brings forth rain,
and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.
24 mch. 21:9 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
25 Like cold water ton[Ps. 42:2] a thirsty soul,
so isoch. 15:30 good news from a far country.
26 Likep[Ezek. 32:2; 34:18, 19] a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
27 It isq[ver. 16] not good to eat much honey,
nor is it glorious tor[ch. 27:2] seek one's own glory.
28 A mans[ch. 16:32] without self-control
is liket[2 Chr. 32:5; 36:19; Neh. 1:3] a city broken into and left without walls.