Proverbs 25:12-25

¹²(As) A golden earring, and a shining pearl is he, that reproveth a wise man, and an ear obeying. (Like a golden earring, and a shining pearl, is a wise person who rebuketh someone with an obedient ear.)

¹³As the cold of snow in the day of harvest, so a faithful messenger to him that sent him, maketh his soul to have rest. (Like the cold of snow on the day of harvest, is a faithful messenger to him who sent him, for he maketh his soul to have rest.)

¹⁴(As) A cloud and wind, and (then) rain not following, is a glorious man, and not ful filling promises. (Like a cloud and wind, but then rain not following, is a honourable person who fulfilleth not his promises.)

¹⁵A prince shall be made soft by patience; and a soft tongue shall break hardness.

¹⁶Thou hast found honey, eat thou (only) that that sufficeth to thee; lest peradventure thou be (over-)filled, and spew it out.

¹⁷Withdraw thy foot from the house of thy neighbour; lest sometime he be filled (of thee), that is, annoyed (by thee), and hate thee.

¹⁸(Like) A dart, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, (is) a man that speaketh false witnessing against his neighbour.

¹⁹(As) A rotten tooth, and a faint foot is he, that hopeth on an unfaithful man in the day of anguish, (Like a rotten tooth, and a faint foot, is he, who hopeth on, or trusteth in, an unfaithful person on his day of anguish.)

²⁰and loseth his mantle in the day of cold. Vinegar in a vessel of salt is he, that singeth songs to the worst heart. As a moth harmeth a cloth, and a worm harmeth a tree, so the sorrow of a man harmeth the heart. (Like him who taketh away a mantle on a cold day, and like vinegar in a vessel of salt, is he who singeth songs to an aggrieved heart. Like a moth harmeth a cloak, and a worm harmeth a tree, so a person’s sorrow harmeth his heart.)

²¹If thine enemy hungereth, feed thou him; if he thirsteth, give thou him water to drink;

²²for thou shalt gather together coals on his head; and the Lord shall yield to thee. (for thou shalt gather together coals upon his head; and the Lord shall reward thee.)

²³The north wind scattereth abroad rains; and a sorrowful face destroyeth a tongue backbiting. (Like the north wind scattereth rains abroad; so an angry look destroyeth a backbiting tongue.)

²⁴It is better to sit in the corner of an house without a roof, than with a woman full of chiding, and in a common house. (It is better to sit in the corner of a house without a roof, than to be with a woman full of arguments, or of bickering, in a house together.)

²⁵Cold water to a thirsty man; and a good messenger from a far land. (Like cold water to a thirsty man, is good news from a far land.)