¹These too are Solomon's proverbs which Hezekiah king of Judah's men transcribed.

²It is God's glory to conceal a matter,

And the glory of kings to investigate a matter.

³Heaven for height

And the earth for depth,

But there is no searching the heart of kings.

⁴Remove the dross from the silver,

And let the refiner's silverware be produced.

⁵Remove the wicked man from the king's presence,

And his throne will be established in righteousness.

⁶Do not vaunt yourself in the presence of the king,

And do not stand in the place of high-ranking men,

⁷For it is better that someone says to you,

“Come up here”,

Than that he humiliates you in the presence of a noble

Whom your eyes have seen.

⁸Do not go out to litigate precipitously,

In case of what you might need to do as a consequence of it

When your neighbour puts you to shame.

⁹Contend your case with your neighbour,

But do not divulge a secret to another person,

¹⁰In case one who is out to discredit you hears,

And the consequences of your slander don't go away.

¹¹A word spoken in season

Is like golden apple-shaped beads in silver showpieces.

¹²To a hearing ear,

A wise reprover is like a golden earring

Or an ornament of fine gold.

¹³A faithful messenger is to those who send him

Like the cooling effect of snow on a day in the harvest season,

And he refreshes the spirit of his masters.

¹⁴A man who boasts in a dishonest gift

Is like mists and wind, but no rain.

¹⁵A senior official is persuaded by much persistence,

And a gentle tongue can break bones.

¹⁶If you find honey

Only eat what is sufficient for you,

Lest you become satiated with it

And vomit it out.

¹⁷Make yourself scarce in your neighbour's house

Lest he has enough of you,

And takes a disliking to you.

¹⁸A man who testifies against his neighbour with a false testimony

Is a club and a sword and a sharp arrow.

¹⁹Putting trust in a traitor

In a time of tribulation

Is like a bad tooth

Or a sprained foot.

²⁰He who removes a person's garment on a cold day

Is like vinegar on soda,

Or one who sings songs to a grieving heart.

²³A northern wind brings forth rain,

And a resentful face an uncommunicative tongue.

²⁴It is better to live in the corner of a roof,

Than in a mansion

But with a contentious wife.

²⁵As cold water is to a weary person,

So is a good report from a distant land.

²⁶A righteous man tottering before a wicked one

Is like a turbid spring and a sullied water-source.

²⁷It is not good to eat much honey,

But investigation of what has glory

Is itself glory.

²⁸A man who has no restraint of his spirit

Is like a breached city which has no wall.

Reference(s) in Chapter 25: v.21 ↔ Romans 12:20 ● v.22 ↔ Romans 12:19, Romans 12:20.