¹ These are the proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out:

² The glory of God is to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

³ The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, but the heart of kings is unsearchable.

⁴ Take away the dross from the silver, and a vessel of the refiner's shall appear.

⁵ Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne is established in righteousness.

⁶ Do not honor yourself before a king, and do not stand in the place of the great.

⁷ For it is better he shall say to you, Come up here! than that you should be put lower before a noble whom your eyes have seen.

⁸ Do not go out to fight hastily, lest you know not what to do in the end of it, when your neighbor has put you to shame?

⁹ Contend for your cause with your neighbor, and do not uncover the secret of another,

¹⁰ lest he who hears put you to shame, and your slander have no end.

¹¹ A word rightly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

¹² As a ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover on a hearing ear.

¹³ Like the cold of snow in harvest time, so is a faithful messenger to those sending him, for he refreshes the soul of his masters.

¹⁴ A man boasting himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind, but with no rain.

¹⁵ In being slow to anger, a ruler is persuaded; and a soft tongue shatters the bone.

¹⁶ Have you found honey? Eat only your fill, lest you be satiated, and vomit it out.

¹⁷ Make your foot rare from your neighbor's house, lest he be full of you and hate you.

¹⁸ A man who gives false witness against his neighbor is a maul, and a sword and a sharp arrow.

¹⁹ Confidence in a treacherous man in time of distress is like a bad tooth and a slipping foot.

²⁰ As he who takes away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar on soda, so is he who sings songs on an evil heart.

²¹ If your hater is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

²² for you shall heap coals of fire on his head, and Jehovah shall reward you.

²³ The north wind brings rain, so does a secret tongue an angry face.

²⁴ It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than to share a house with a contentious woman.

²⁵ Like cold waters to a weary soul, so is a good report from a far country.

²⁶ The righteous falling down before the wicked is like a fouled fountain and a ruined spring.

²⁷ It is not good to eat much honey, and to search out their glory is not glory.

²⁸ A man to whom there is no control to his spirit is like a broken down city without a wall.