| Holman Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1These too are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, copied. | 1These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the advisers of King Hezekiah of Judah. |
| 2It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to investigate a matter. | 2It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the king’s privilege to discover them. |
| 3As the heaven is high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated. | 3No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of the earth, or all that goes on in the king’s mind! |
| 4Remove impurities from silver, and a vessel will be produced for a silversmith. | 4Remove the impurities from silver, and the sterling will be ready for the silversmith. |
| 5Remove the wicked from the king's presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness. | 5Remove the wicked from the king’s court, and his reign will be made secure by justice. |
| 6Don't brag about yourself before the king, and don't stand in the place of the great; | 6Don’t demand an audience with the king or push for a place among the great. |
| 7for it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here!" than to demote you in plain view of a noble. | 7It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table than to be sent away in public disgrace. Just because you’ve seen something, |
| 8Don't take a matter to court hastily. Otherwise, what will you do afterward if your opponent humiliates you? | 8don’t be in a hurry to go to court. For what will you do in the end if your neighbor deals you a shameful defeat? |
| 9Make your case with your opponent without revealing another's secret; | 9When arguing with your neighbor, don’t betray another person’s secret. |
| 10otherwise, the one who hears will disgrace you, and you'll never live it down. | 10Others may accuse you of gossip, and you will never regain your good reputation. |
| 11A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples on a silver tray. | 11Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket. |
| 12A wise correction to a receptive ear is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold. | 12To one who listens, valid criticism is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry. |
| 13To those who send him, a trustworthy messenger is like the coolness of snow on a harvest day; he refreshes the life of his masters. | 13Trustworthy messengers refresh like snow in summer. They revive the spirit of their employer. |
| 14The man who boasts about a gift that does not exist is like clouds and wind without rain. | 14A person who promises a gift but doesn’t give it is like clouds and wind that bring no rain. |
| 15A ruler can be persuaded through patience, and a gentle tongue can break a bone. | 15Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones. |
| 16If you find honey, eat only what you need; otherwise, you'll get sick from it and vomit. | 16Do you like honey? Don’t eat too much, or it will make you sick! |
| 17Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house; otherwise, he'll get sick of you and hate you. | 17Don’t visit your neighbors too often, or you will wear out your welcome. |
| 18A man giving false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow. | 18Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow. |
| 19Trusting an unreliable person in a difficult time is like a rotten tooth or a faltering foot. | 19Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot. |
| 20Singing songs to a troubled heart is like taking off clothing on a cold day or like pouring vinegar on soda. | 20Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound. |
| 21If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; | 21If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. |
| 22for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. | 22You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the LORD will reward you. |
| 23The north wind produces rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks. | 23As surely as a north wind brings rain, so a gossiping tongue causes anger! |
| 24Better to live on the corner of a roof than to share a house with a nagging wife. | 24It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home. |
| 25Good news from a distant land is like cold water to a parched throat. | 25Good news from far away is like cold water to the thirsty. |
| 26A righteous person who yields to the wicked is like a muddied spring or a polluted well. | 26If the godly give in to the wicked, it’s like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring. |
| 27It is not good to eat too much honey or to seek glory after glory. | 27It’s not good to eat too much honey, and it’s not good to seek honors for yourself. |
| 28A man who does not control his temper is like a city whose wall is broken down. | 28A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls. |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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