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Proverbs 25
1These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah of Judah copied out.
2It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of is to search out a matter.
3As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the hearts of are unsearchable.
4Take away the dross from the silver, and material comes out for the refiner.
5Take away the wicked from the ’s presence, and his throne will be established in .
6Don’t exalt yourself in the presence of the , or claim a place among great men;
7for it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,” than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen.
8Don’t be hasty in bringing charges to court. What will you do in the end when your neighbor shames you?
9Debate your case with your neighbor, and don’t betray the confidence of another,
10lest one who hears it put you to shame, and your bad reputation never depart.
11A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
12As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover to an obedient ear.
13As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to those who send him; for he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14As clouds and wind without rain, so is he who boasts of gifts deceptively.
15By patience a ruler is persuaded. A soft tongue breaks the bone.
16Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest you eat too much, and vomit it.
17Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house, lest he be weary of you, and hate you.
18A man who gives false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.
19Confidence in someone unfaithful in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a lame foot.
20As one who takes away a garment in cold weather, or vinegar on soda, so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
21If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the LORD will reward you.
23The north wind produces rain; so a backbiting tongue brings an angry face.
24It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop than to share a house with a contentious woman.
25Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
26Like a muddied spring and a polluted well, so is a man who gives way before the wicked.
27It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor.
28Like a city that is broken down and without walls is a man whose spirit is without restraint.
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Questions this passage answers
How do I stop committing the same sin over and over?
Scripture answers a repeated sin by changing what the believer reckons to be true, then by naming the ordinary means: consider yourself dead to sin, stop presenting your body to it, bring it out of secrecy by confession, walk by the Spirit, and remove what feeds the desire. It does not promise a single moment that ends the struggle, and it does not treat repeated falling as proof that grace has run out.
How do I trust God when life is difficult?
Biblical trust is not a feeling you generate. It is leaning your weight on what God has revealed about himself, especially when your circumstances suggest otherwise. Scripture builds trust the same way every time: by remembering what God has already done, telling him the truth about what you feel now, and obeying the next small thing while the outcome is still hidden.
How do I know God's will for my life?
Scripture speaks of God's will in two ways. His revealed will is what he has already told us plainly and is not in doubt: holiness, love, gratitude, obedience. His hidden will concerns the future and is not given to us in advance. The Bible directs almost all its attention to the first, and it teaches us to make wise decisions inside it rather than to decode secret guidance.
What does it mean to fear the Lord?
The fear of the LORD is not terror of an unpredictable God. It is the reverence of a creature who has rightly understood who God is, holy, sovereign and near, and who therefore takes him seriously in every decision. Proverbs calls it the beginning of knowledge, because a person who has not reckoned with God has not yet begun to understand anything rightly.