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