Proverbs 25:1-14

Hezekiah's Collection

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^[a] 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.^{[b] [c]}

8 Don't take a matter to court hastily. Otherwise, what will you do afterwards if your opponent^[d] humiliates you?

9 Make your case with your opponent^[e] without revealing another's secret;

10 otherwise, the one who hears will disgrace you, and you'll never live it down.^{[f] [g]}

11 A word spoken at the right time is like golden apples on a silver tray.^{[h] [i]}

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 messenger is like the coolness of snow on a harvest day; he refreshes the life of his masters.^[j]

14 The man who boasts about a gift that does not exist is like clouds and wind without rain.