Proverbs 25

¹Also these are Proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed: —

²The honour of God [is] to hide a thing, And the honour of kings to search out a matter.

³The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings — [are] unsearchable.

⁴Take away dross from silver, And a vessel for the refiner goeth forth,

⁵Take away the wicked before a king, And established in righteousness is his throne.

⁶Honour not thyself before a king, And in the place of the great stand not.

⁷For better [that] he hath said to thee, 'Come thou up hither,' Than [that] he humble thee before a noble, Whom thine eyes have seen.

⁸Go not forth to strive, haste, turn, What dost thou in its latter end, When thy neighbour causeth thee to blush?

⁹Thy cause plead with thy neighbour, And the secret counsel of another reveal not,

¹⁰Lest the hearer put thee to shame, And thine evil report turn not back.

¹¹Apples of gold in imagery of silver, [Is] the word spoken at its fit times.

¹²A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, [Is] the wise reprover to an attentive ear.

¹³As 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.

¹⁴Clouds and wind, and rain there is none, [Is] a man boasting himself in a false gift.