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 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.
8 Don’t take a matter to court hastily. Otherwise, what will you do afterwardif your opponent humiliates you?
9 Make your case with your opponent without revealing another’s secret;
10 otherwise, the one who hears will disgrace you,and you’ll never live it down.
11 A word spoken at the right timeis like gold apples on a silver tray.
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 messengeris 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 existis 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 timeis like a rotten tooth or a faltering foot.
20 Singing songs to a troubled heartis like taking off clothing on a cold dayor like pouring vinegar on soda.
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 roofthan to share a house with a nagging wife.
25 Good news from a distant landis like cold water to a parched throat.
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.
28 A man who does not control his temper is like a city whose wall is broken down.