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.