1 These too are proverbs of Solomon,  *

which the men of King Hezekiah  * 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 heavens are high and the earth is deep,

so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated.

4 Remove impurities from silver,  *

and material 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 boast 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 afterward

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 gold apples in silver settings.  *

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 envoy

is like the coolness of snow on a harvest day;

he refreshes the life of his masters.  *

14 The one 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 person giving false testimony against his neighbor  *

is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.  *

19 Trusting an unreliable person in a difficult time

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 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 roof

than to share a house 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 person who does not control his temper  *

is like a city whose wall is broken down.  *