1 These too are proverbs of Shelomoh which the men of Ḥizqiyahu sovereign of Yahuḏah copied:
2 It is the esteem of Elohim to hide a matter,
And the esteem of sovereigns to search out a matter.
3 The shamayim for height and the earth for depth,
But the heart of sovereigns is unsearchable.
4 Take away the dross from silver,
And a vessel comes forth for the refiner.
5 Take away the wicked from before the sovereign,
And his throne is established in righteousness.
6 Do not exalt yourself before a sovereign,
And do not stand in the place of great men;
7 For it is better for him to 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 forth to strive in haste,
For what would you do in the end,
When your neighbour has put you to shame?
9 Plead your case with your neighbour himself,
And do not disclose the secret of another;
10 Lest he who hears it put you to shame,
And your evil report turn not back.
11 A word spoken at the right time
Is like apples of gold in mountings of silver.
12 A ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold,
Is a wise one’s reproof to an ear that hears.
13 Like the cold of snow in time of harvest
Is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the life of his masters.
14 Clouds and wind without rain
Is he who boasts of his gifts falsely.
15 Through patience a ruler is persuaded,
And a soft tongue shatters a bone.
16 Have you found honey?
Eat only as much as you need,
Lest you be satisfied with it and vomit.
17 Make your foot rare in your neighbour’s house,
Lest he gets enough of you and hate you.
18 A club and a sword and a sharp arrow
Is a man bearing false witness against his neighbour.
19 A broken tooth or a foot out of joint
Is trust in a treacherous man in time of distress.
20 One who takes away a garment in cold weather,
Is vinegar on soda,
And a singer of songs on an evil heart.
21 If your enemy is hungry give him bread to eat,
And if he is thirsty give him water to drink,
22 For you are heaping coals of fire on his head,
And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 rewards you.
23 The north wind brings rain,
And a secret tongue an enraged face.
24 It is better to dwell in a corner of a roof,
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
25 Cold water to a parched throat,
Is good news from a distant land.
26 A muddied spring and a ruined fountain
Is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
27 It is not good to eat much honey.
Is it esteem to seek one’s own esteem?
28 A broken-down city without a wall
Is a man who has no control over his spirit.