Proverbs 25

1 Αὗται αἱ παιδεῖαι Σαλωμῶντος αἱ ἀδιάκριτοι, ἃς ἐξεγράψαντο οἱ φίλοι Ἐζεκίου τοῦ βασιλέως τῆς Ἰουδαίας.

2 Δόξα Θεοῦ κρύπτει λόγον, δόξα δὲ βασιλέως τιμᾷ πράγματα.

3 Οὐρανὸς ὑψηλὸς, γῆ δὲ βαθεῖα, καρδία δὲ βασιλέως ἀνεξέλεγκτος.

4 Τύπτε ἀδόκιμον ἀργύριον, καὶ καθαρισθήσεται καθαρὸν ἅπαν.

5 Κτεῖνε ἀσεβεῖς ἐκ προσώπου βασιλέως, καὶ κατορθώσει ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ.

6 Μὴ ἀλαζονεύου ἐνώπιον βασιλέως, μηδὲ ἐν τόποις δυναστῶν ὑφίστασο·

7 Κρεῖσσον γάρ σοι τὸ ῥηθῆναι, ἀνάβαινε πρὸς μὲ, ἢ ταπεινῶσαί σε ἐν προσώπῳ δυνάστου· ἃ εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου λέγε.

8 Μὴ πρόσπιπτε εἰς μάχην ταχέως, ἵνα μὴ μεταμεληθῇς ἐπʼ ἐσχάτων· ἡνίκα ἄν σε ὀνειδίσῃ ὁ σὸς φίλος,

9 ἀναχώρει εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω· μὴ καταφρόνει,

10 μή σε ὀνειδίσῃ μὲν ὁ φίλος, ἡ δὲ μάχη σου καὶ ἡ ἔχθρα οὐκ ἀπέσται, ἀλλὰ ἔσται σοι ἴση θανάτῳ·

10a χάρις καὶ φιλία ἐλευθεροῖ, ἃς τήρησον σεαυτῷ, ἵνα μὴ ἐπονείδιστος γένῃ, ἀλλὰ φύλαξον τὰς ὁδούς σου εὐσυναλλάκτως.

11 Μῆλον χρυσοῦν ἐν ὁρμίσκῳ σαρδίου, οὕτως εἰπεῖν λόγον.

12 Εἰς ἐνώτιον χρυσοῦν καὶ σάρδιον πολυτελὲς δέδεται, λόγος σοφὸς εἰς εὐήκοον οὖς.

13 Ὥσπερ ἔξοδος χιόνος ἐν ἀμητῷ κατὰ καῦμα ὠφελεῖ, οὕτως ἄγγελος πιστὸς τοὺς ἀποστείλαντας αὐτόν· ψυχὰς γὰρ τῶν αὐτῷ χρωμένων ὠφελεῖ.

14 Ὥσπερ ἄνεμοι καὶ νέφη καὶ ὑετοὶ, ἐπιφανέστατα, οὕτως ὁ καυχώμενος ἐπὶ δόσει ψευδεῖ.

15 Ἐν μακροθυμίᾳ εὐοδία βασιλεῦσι, γλῶσσα δὲ μαλακὴ συντρίβει ὀστᾶ.

16 Μέλι εὑρὼν φάγε τὸ ἱκανὸν, μή ποτε πλησθεὶς ἐξεμέσῃς.

17 Σπάνιον εἴσαγε σὸν πόδα πρὸς σεαυτοῦ φίλον, μή ποτε πλησθείς σου μισήσῃ σε.

18 Ῥόπαλον καὶ μάχαιρα καὶ τόξευμα ἀκιδωτὸν, οὕτως καὶ ἀνὴρ ὁ καταμαρτυρῶν τοῦ φίλου αὐτοῦ μαρτυρίαν ψευδῆ.

19 Οδὸς κακοῦ καὶ ποὺς παρανόμου ὀλεῖται ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακῇ.

20 Ὥσπερ ὄξος ἕλκει ἀσύμφορον, οὕτως προσπεσὸν πάθος ἐν σώματι καρδίαν λυπεῖ·

20a ὥσπερ σὴς ἐν ἱματίῳ καὶ σκώληξ ξύλῳ, οὕτως λύπη ἀνδρὸς βλάπτει καρδίαν.

21 Ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, ψώμιζε αὐτὸν, ἐὰν διψᾷ, πότιζε αὐτόν·

22 Τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ, ὁ δὲ Κύριος ἀνταποδώσει σοι ἀγαθά.

23 Ἄνεμος Βορέας ἐξεγείρει νέφη, πρόσωπον δὲ ἀναιδὲς γλῶσσαν ἐρεθίζει·

24 Κρεῖσσον οἰκεῖν ἐπὶ γωνίας δώματος, ἢ μετὰ γυναικὸς λοιδόρου ἐν οἰκίᾳ κοινῇ.

25 Ὥσπερ ὕδωρ ψυχρὸν ψυχῇ διψώσῃ προσηνὲς, οὕτως ἀγγελία ἀγαθὴ ἐκ γῆς μακρόθεν.

26 Ὥσπερ εἴ τις πηγὴν φράσσοι καὶ ὕδατος ἔξοδον λυμαίνοιτο, οὕτως ἄκοσμον δίκαιον πεπτωκέναι ἐνώπιον ἀσεβοῦς.

27 Ἐσθίειν μέλι πολὺ οὐ καλὸν, τιμᾷν δὲ χρὴ λόγους ἐνδόξους.

28 Ὥσπερ πόλις τὰ τείχη καταβεβλημένη καὶ ἀτείχιστος, οὕτως ἀνὴρ ὃς οὐ μετὰ βουλῆς τι πράσσει.

1 These are the miscellaneous instructions of Solomon, which the friends of Ezekias king of Judea copied out.

Possibly genuine, q. d. beyond doubt.

2 The glory of God conceals a matter: but the glory of a king honours business.

3 Heaven is high, and earth is deep, and a king's heart is unsearchable.

4 Beat the drossy silver, and it shall be made entirely pure.

5 Slay the ungodly from before the king, and his throne shall prosper in righteousness.

6 Be not boastful in the presence of the king, and remain not in the places of princes;

7 for it is better for thee that it should be said, Come up to me, than that one should humble thee in the presence of the prince; speak of that which thine eyes have seen.

8 Get not suddenly into a quarrel, lest thou repent at last.

9 Whenever thy friend shall reproach thee, retreat backward, despise him not;

10 lest thy friend continue to reproach thee, so thy quarrel and enmity shall not depart, but shall be to thee like death.

10a Favour and friendship set a man free, which do thou keep for thyself, lest thou be made liable to reproach; but take heed to thy ways peaceably.

11 As a golden apple in a necklace of sardius, so is it to speak a wise word.

12 In an ear-ring of gold a precious sardius is also set; so is a wise word to an obedient ear.

13 As a fall of snow in the time of harvest is good against heat, so a faithful messenger refreshes those that send him; for he helps the souls of his employers.

14 As winds and clouds and rains are most evident objects , so is he that boasts of a false gift.

15 In long-suffering is prosperity to kings, and a soft tongue breaks the bones.

16 Having found honey, eat only what is enough, lest haply thou be filled, and vomit it up.

17 Enter sparingly into thy friend's house, lest he be satiated with thy company, and hate thee.

18 As a club, and a dagger, and a pointed arrow, so also is a man who bears false witness against his friend.

19 The way of the wicked and the foot of the transgressor shall perish in an evil day.

20 As vinegar is bad for a sore, so trouble befalling the body afflicts the heart.

20a As a moth in a garment, and a worm in wood, so the grief of a man hurts the heart.

21 If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink;

22 for so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee with good.

23 The north wind raises clouds; so an impudent face provokes the tongue.

24 It is better to dwell on a corner of the roof, than with a railing woman in an open house.

25 As cold water is agreeable to a thirsting soul, so is a good message from a land far off.

26 As if one should stop a well, and corrupt a spring of water, so is it unseemly for a righteous man to fall before an ungodly man.

27 It is not good to eat much honey; but it is right to honour venerable sayings.

28 As a city whose walls are broken down, and which is unfortified, so is a man who does anything without counsel.