Proverbs

²⁵It is a snare to a man to utter a vow [of consecration] rashly and [not until] afterward inquire [whether he can fulfill it]. ²⁶A wise king winnows out the wicked [from among the good] and brings the threshing wheel over them [to separate the chaff from the grain]. ²⁷The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts. [I Cor. 2:11.] ²⁸Loving-kindness and mercy, truth and faithfulness, preserve the king, and his throne is upheld by [the people's] loyalty. ²⁹The glory of young men is their strength, and the beauty of old men is their gray head [suggesting wisdom and experience]. ³⁰Blows that wound cleanse away evil, and strokes [for correction] reach to the innermost parts.