Proverbs 25; Proverbs 26; 2 Corinthians 9

Proverbs 25

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 afterwards if 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 time is like golden 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 messenger is 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 exist is 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 time of trouble is like a rotten tooth or a faltering foot.

20 Singing songs to a troubled heart is like taking off clothing on a cold day, or 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 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 roof than in a house shared with a nagging wife.

25 Good news from a distant land is 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.

Proverbs 26

1 Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, honor is inappropriate for a fool.

2 Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow, an undeserved curse goes nowhere.

3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools.

4 Don't answer a fool according to his foolishness, or you'll be like him yourself.

5 Answer a fool according to his foolishness, or he'll become wise in his own eyes.

6 The one who sends a message by a fool's hand cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

7 A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like lame legs that hang limp.

8 Giving honor to a fool is like binding a stone in a sling.

9 A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like a stick with thorns, brandished by the hand of a drunkard.

10 The one who hires a fool, or who hires those passing by, is like an archer who wounds everyone.

11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.

12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

13 The slacker says, "There's a lion in the road- a lion in the public square!"

14 A door turns on its hinge, and a slacker, on his bed.

15 The slacker buries his hand in the bowl; he is too weary to bring it to his mouth.

16 In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser than seven men who can answer sensibly.

17 A passerby who meddles in a quarrel that's not his is like one who grabs a dog by the ears.

18 Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows,

19 so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!"

20 Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down.

21 As charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

22 A gossip's words are like choice food that goes down to one's innermost being.

23 Smooth lips with an evil heart are like glaze on an earthen vessel.

24 A hateful person disguises himself with his speech and harbors deceit within.

25 When he speaks graciously, don't believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.

26 Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his evil will be revealed in the assembly.

27 The one who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever rolls a stone- it will come back on him.

28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.

2 Corinthians 9

1 Now concerning the ministry to the saints, it is unnecessary for me to write to you.

2 For I know your eagerness, and I brag about you to the Macedonians: "Achaia has been prepared since last year," and your zeal has stirred up most of them.

3 But I sent the brothers so our boasting about you in the matter would not prove empty, and so you would be prepared just as I said.

4 For if any Macedonians should come with me and find you unprepared, we, not to mention you, would be embarrassed in that situation.

5 Therefore I considered it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance the generous gift you promised, so that it will be ready as a gift and not an extortion.

6 Remember this: the person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.

7 Each person should do as he has decided in his heart-not out of regret or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.

8 And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.

9 As it is written: He has scattered; He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.

10 Now the One who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness,

11 as you are enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.

12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many acts of thanksgiving to God.

13 Through the proof of this service, they will glorify God for your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with others.

14 And in their prayers for you they will have deep affection for you because of the surpassing grace of God on you.

15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.