Comparisons and Moral Lessons

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

² The honour of God 'is' to hide a thing, And the honour of kings to search out a matter. ³ The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings—'are' unsearchable.

⁴ Take away dross from silver, And a vessel for the refiner goeth forth, ⁵ Take away the wicked before a king, And established in righteousness is his throne.

⁶ Honour not thyself before a king, And in the place of the great stand not. ⁷ For better 'that' he hath said to thee, 'Come thou up hither,' Than 'that' he humble thee before a noble, Whom thine eyes have seen.

⁸ Go not forth to strive, haste, turn, What dost thou in its latter end, When thy neighbour causeth thee to blush? ⁹ Thy cause plead with thy neighbour, And the secret counsel of another reveal not, ¹⁰ Lest the hearer put thee to shame, And thine evil report turn not back.

¹¹ Apples of gold in imagery of silver, 'Is' the word spoken at its fit times. ¹² A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, 'Is' the wise reprover to an attentive ear.

¹³ As 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.

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

¹⁵ By long-suffering is a ruler persuaded, And a soft tongue breaketh a bone.

¹⁶ Honey thou hast found—eat thy sufficiency, Lest thou be satiated 'with' it, and hast vomited it.

¹⁷ Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house, Lest he be satiated 'with' thee, and have hated thee.

¹⁸ A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, 'Is' the man testifying against his neighbour a false testimony.

¹⁹ A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, 'Is' the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity.

²⁰ Whoso is taking away a garment in a cold day, 'Is as' vinegar on nitre, And a singer of songs on a sad heart.

²¹ If he who is hating thee doth hunger, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirst, cause him to drink water. ²² For coals thou art putting on his head, And Jehovah giveth recompense to thee.

²³ A north wind bringeth forth rain, And a secret tongue—indignant faces.

²⁴ Better to sit on a corner of a roof, Than 'with' a woman of contentions, and a house of company.

²⁵ 'As' cold waters for a weary soul, So 'is' a good report from a far country.

²⁶ A spring troubled, and a fountain corrupt, 'Is' the righteous falling before the wicked.

²⁷ The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one's own honour—honour.

²⁸ A city broken down without walls, 'Is' a man without restraint over his spirit!

26¹ As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honour 'is' not comely for a fool.

² As a bird by wandering, as a swallow by flying, So reviling without cause doth not come.

³ A whip is for a horse, a bridle for an ass, And a rod for the back of fools.

⁴ Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou be like to him—even thou. ⁵ Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

⁶ He is cutting off feet, he is drinking injury, Who is sending things by the hand of a fool. ⁷ Weak have been the two legs of the lame, And a parable in the mouth of fools. ⁸ As one who is binding a stone in a sling, So 'is' he who is giving honour to a fool. ⁹ A thorn hath gone up into the hand of a drunkard, And a parable in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰ Great 'is' the Former of all, And He is rewarding a fool, And is rewarding transgressors.

¹¹ As a dog hath returned to its vomit, A fool is repeating his folly.

¹² Thou hast seen a man wise in his own eyes, More hope of a fool than of him!

¹³ The slothful hath said, 'A lion 'is' in the way, A lion 'is' in the broad places.'

¹⁴ The door turneth round on its hinge, And the slothful on his bed.

¹⁵ The slothful hath hid his hand in a dish, He is weary of bringing it back to his mouth.

¹⁶ Wiser 'is' the slothful in his own eyes, Than seven 'men' returning a reason.

¹⁷ Laying hold on the ears of a dog, 'Is' a passer-by making himself wrath for strife not his own.

¹⁸ As 'one' pretending to be feeble, Who is casting sparks, arrows, and death, ¹⁹ So hath a man deceived his neighbour, And hath said, 'Am not I playing?'

²⁰ Without wood is fire going out, And without a tale-bearer, contention ceaseth, ²¹ Coal to burning coals, and wood to fire, And a man of contentions to kindle strife. ²² The words of a tale-bearer 'are' as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down 'to' the inner parts of the heart.

²³ Silver of dross spread over potsherd, 'Are' burning lips and an evil heart.

²⁴ By his lips doth a hater dissemble, And in his heart he placeth deceit, ²⁵ When his voice is gracious trust not in him, For seven abominations 'are' in his heart. ²⁶ Hatred is covered by deceit, Revealed is its wickedness in an assembly.

²⁷ Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And the roller of a stone, to him it turneth.

²⁸ A lying tongue hateth its bruised ones, And a flattering mouth worketh an overthrow!

9¹ For, indeed, concerning the ministration that 'is' for the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you, ² for I have known your readiness of mind, which in your behalf I boast of to Macedonians, that Achaia hath been prepared a year ago, and the zeal of you did stir up the more part, ³ and I sent the brethren, that our boasting on your behalf may not be made vain in this respect; that, according as I said, ye may be ready, ⁴ lest if Macedonians may come with me, and find you unprepared, we—we may be put to shame (that we say not—ye) in this same confidence of boasting. ⁵ Necessary, therefore, I thought 'it' to exhort the brethren, that they may go before to you, and may make up before your formerly announced blessing, that this be ready, as a blessing, and not as covetousness.

⁶ And this: He who is sowing sparingly, sparingly also shall reap; and he who is sowing in blessings, in blessings also shall reap; ⁷ each one, according as he doth purpose in heart, not out of sorrow or out of necessity, for a cheerful giver doth God love, ⁸ and God 'is' able all grace to cause to abound to you, that in every thing always all sufficiency having, ye may abound to every good work, ⁹ (according as it hath been written, 'He dispersed abroad, he gave to the poor, his righteousness doth remain to the age,') ¹⁰ and may He who is supplying seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness, ¹¹ in every thing being enriched to all liberality, which doth work through us thanksgiving to God, ¹² because the ministration of this service not only is supplying the wants of the saints, but is also abounding through many thanksgivings to God, ¹³ through the proof of this ministration glorifying God for the subjection of your confession to the good news of the Christ, and 'for' the liberality of the fellowship to them and to all, ¹⁴ and by their supplication in your behalf, longing after you because of the exceeding grace of God upon you; ¹⁵ thanks also to God for His unspeakable gift!