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Proverbs chapter 25

English Standard Version

1These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.
2It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. 3As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable. 4Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; 5take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness. 6Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great, 7for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble. What your eyes have seen 8do not hastily bring into court, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame? 9Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another’s secret, 10lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and your ill repute have no end. 11A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. 12Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear. 13Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters. 14Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give. 15With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone. 16If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it. 17Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you. 18A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow. 19Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips. 20Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda. 21If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, 22for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. 23The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks. 24It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife. 25Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. 26Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked. 27It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory. 28A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.
New International Version

1These are more proverbs of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:
2It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
3As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable. 4Remove the dross from the silver, and a silversmith can produce a vessel;
5remove wicked officials from the king's presence, and his throne will be established through righteousness. 6Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence, and do not claim a place among his great men;
7it is better for him to say to you, 'Come up here,' than for him to humiliate you before his nobles. What you have seen with your eyes
8do not bring hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame? 9If you take your neighbor to court, do not betray another's confidence,
10or the one who hears it may shame you and the charge against you will stand. 11Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a ruling rightly given.
12Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear. 13Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him; he refreshes the spirit of his master.
14Like clouds and wind without rain is one who boasts of gifts never given.
15Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone. 16If you find honey, eat just enough-- too much of it, and you will vomit.
17Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house-- too much of you, and they will hate you. 18Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor. 19Like a broken tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.
20Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on a wound, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart. 21If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.
23Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain is a sly tongue--which provokes a horrified look.
24Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. 25Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.
26Like a muddied spring or a polluted well are the righteous who give way to the wicked.
27It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep. 28Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.
New American Standard Bible

1These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.
2It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. 3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable. 4Take away the impurities from the silver, And there comes out a vessel for the smith; 5Take away the wicked before the king, And his throne will be established in righteousness. 6Do not boast in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the same place as great people; 7For it is better that it be said to you, 'Come up here,' Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen. 8Do not go out hastily to argue your case; Otherwise, what will you do in the end, When your neighbor humiliates you? 9 Argue your case with your neighbor, And do not reveal the secret of another, 10Or one who hears it will put you to shame, And the evil report about you will not pass away. 11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver, Is a word spoken at the proper time. 12 Like an earring of gold and a jewelry piece of fine gold, Is a wise person who offers rebukes to a listening ear. 13Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters. 14 Like clouds and wind without rain Is a person who boasts of his gifts falsely. 15Through patience a ruler may be persuaded, And a gentle tongue breaks bone. 16Have you found honey? Eat only what you need, So that you do not have it in excess and vomit it. 17Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house, Or he will become weary of you and hate you. 18 Like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow Is a person who gives false testimony against his neighbor. 19 Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot Is confidence in a treacherous person in time of trouble. 20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda, Is one who sings songs to a troubled heart. 21If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; 22For you will heap burning coals on his head, And the Lord will reward you. 23The north wind brings rain, And a gossiping tongue brings an angry face. 24It is better to live on a corner of the roof, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman. 25 Like cold water to a weary soul, So is good news from a distant land. 26 Like a trampled spring and a polluted well, So is a righteous person who gives way before the wicked. 27It is not good to eat much honey, Nor is it glory to search out one’s own glory. 28 Like a city that is broken into and without walls So is a person who has no self-control over his spirit.
Christian Standard Bible

1These too are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of King Hezekiah of Judah copied. 2It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.
3As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated. 4Remove impurities from silver, and material will be produced for a silversmith.
5Remove the wicked from the king's presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness. 6Don't boast about yourself before the king, and don't stand in the place of the great;
7for it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here! " than to demote you in plain view of a noble. 8Don't take a matter to court hastily. Otherwise, what will you do afterward if your opponent humiliates you? 9Make your case with your opponent without revealing another's secret;
10otherwise, the one who hears will disgrace you, and you'll never live it down. 11A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples in silver settings.
12A wise correction to a receptive ear is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.
13To those who send him, a trustworthy envoy is like the coolness of snow on a harvest day; he refreshes the life of his masters. 14The one who boasts about a gift that does not exist is like clouds and wind without rain. 15A ruler can be persuaded through patience, and a gentle tongue can break a bone. 16If you find honey, eat only what you need; otherwise, you'll get sick from it and vomit.
17Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house; otherwise, he'll get sick of you and hate you. 18A person giving false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.
19Trusting an unreliable person in a difficult time is like a rotten tooth or a faltering foot.
20Singing songs to a troubled heart is like taking off clothing on a cold day or like pouring vinegar on soda. 21If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
22for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. 23The north wind produces rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks. 24Better to live on the corner of a roof than to share a house with a nagging wife. 25Good news from a distant land is like cold water to a parched throat. 26A righteous person who yields to the wicked is like a muddied spring or a polluted well. 27It is not good to eat too much honey or to seek glory after glory. 28A person who does not control his temper is like a city whose wall is broken down.
New Living Translation

1These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the advisers of King Hezekiah of Judah.
2It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the king’s privilege to discover them.
3No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of the earth, or all that goes on in the king’s mind!
4Remove the impurities from silver, and the sterling will be ready for the silversmith. 5Remove the wicked from the king’s court, and his reign will be made secure by justice.
6Don’t demand an audience with the king or push for a place among the great.
7It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table than to be sent away in public disgrace. Just because you’ve seen something, 8don’t be in a hurry to go to court. For what will you do in the end if your neighbor deals you a shameful defeat?
9When arguing with your neighbor, don’t betray another person’s secret. 10Others may accuse you of gossip, and you will never regain your good reputation.
11Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.
12To one who listens, valid criticism is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry.
13Trustworthy messengers refresh like snow in summer. They revive the spirit of their employer.
14A person who promises a gift but doesn’t give it is like clouds and wind that bring no rain.
15Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones.
16Do you like honey? Don’t eat too much, or it will make you sick!
17Don’t visit your neighbors too often, or you will wear out your welcome.
18Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow.
19Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot.
20Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound.
21If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. 22You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.
23As surely as a north wind brings rain, so a gossiping tongue causes anger!
24It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.
25Good news from far away is like cold water to the thirsty.
26If the godly give in to the wicked, it’s like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring.
27It’s not good to eat too much honey, and it’s not good to seek honors for yourself.
28A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.
King James Version

1These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
2It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. 3The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. 5Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
6Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: 7For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.
8Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame. 9Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another: 10Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.
11A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. 12As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
13As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.
14Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.
15By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.
16Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
17Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.
18A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
19Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.
20As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.
21If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: 22For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.
23The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
24It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.
25As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
26A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.
27It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.
28He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

What does Proverbs chapter 25 mean?

Most of the wisdom contained in the book of Proverbs is directly associated with Solomon (Proverbs 1:1; 10:1). A prior segment included sayings attributed to wise men; those were endorsed by Solomon but not necessarily his own phrases (Proverbs 22:17–21). Chapters 25 through 29 contain material collected by later scribes. These men, working under King Hezekiah, seem to have collected and copied these from one set of scrolls to those recording Solomon's other wise teachings (Proverbs 25:1).

The first part of this chapter makes several references to excessive pride, and the risks of arrogance. Because God knows what we cannot know, part of His glory is revealed in the things about Him we cannot comprehend. God already exists in perfection; that gives Him the privilege of choosing what to reveal. Human beings are imperfect; we seek something better when we search out truth. Solomon explains how removing wicked people from a king's influence improves his rule just as much as refining improves the quality of silver. Other statements warn against hasty criticism and arrogance (Proverbs 25:2–10).

A short passage then uses four comparisons explaining human relationships. These teachings echo earlier mentions of well-considered, well-timed advice (Proverbs 15:23). Solomon also reiterates the importance of a willing listener in the process of passing along godly wisdom (Proverbs 1:23; 3:11; 10:17). Reliable messengers or friends are refreshing, while those who brag without making good on their claims ruin their reputation (Proverbs 25:11–14).

Personal relationships continue as a theme of the rest of the chapter. Several mention the danger of "too much of a good thing," whether that is food or company. As do other portions of Scripture, this passage condemns those who lie about others (Proverbs 6:19; 19:5; 21:28; Exodus 20:16). Solomon advises tact and discretion when dealing with others; he recommends kindness instead of revenge as the best way to react to insults. Other lessons mention the importance of self-control and a consistent lifestyle (Proverbs 25:15–28).
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