September 16th
Proverbs, 25
Solomon’s
sayings collected by the men of Hezekiah
1: These are also proverbs of Solomon,
which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out. 2: It is the glory of God to conceal
a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. 3: The heaven for height, and the
earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable. 4: Take away the dross from the
silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. 5: Take away the wicked from before
the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness. 6: Put not forth thyself in the
presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: 7: For better it is that it be said
unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the
presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen. 8: Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do
in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame. 9: Debate thy cause with thy
neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another: 10: Lest he that heareth it put thee
to shame, and thine infamy turn not away. 11: A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of
silver. 12: As an earring of
gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
13: As the cold of snow in the
time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth
the soul of his masters. 14:
Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain. 15: By long forbearing is a prince
persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone. 16: Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for
thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. 17: Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be
weary of thee, and so hate thee. 18:
A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword,
and a sharp arrow. 19: Confidence
in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out
of joint. 20: As he that taketh
away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that
singeth songs to an heavy heart. 21:
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him
water to drink: 22: For thou
shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee. 23: The north wind driveth away rain:
so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. 24: It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than
with a brawling woman and in a wide house. 25: As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far
country. 26: A righteous man
falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.
27: It is not good to eat much
honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory. 28: He that hath no rule over his own
spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
Proverbs, 26
1: As snow in summer, and as rain in
harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool. 2: As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the
curse causeless shall not come. 3:
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back. 4: Answer not a fool according to his
folly, lest thou also be like unto him. 5:
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit. 6: He that sendeth a message by the
hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage. 7: The legs of the lame are not
equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools. 8: As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth
honour to a fool. 9: As a thorn
goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools. 10: The great God that formed all
things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors. 11: As a dog returneth to his vomit,
so a fool returneth to his folly. 12:
Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of
him. 13: The slothful man
saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets. 14: As the door turneth upon his
hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. 15: The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him
to bring it again to his mouth. 16:
The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a
reason. 17: He that passeth by,
and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by
the ears. 18: As a mad man who
casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, 19:
So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport? 20: Where no wood is, there the fire
goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. 21: As coals are to burning coals,
and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. 22: The words of a talebearer are as
wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. 23: Burning lips and a wicked heart
are like a potsherd covered with silver dross. 24: He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up
deceit within him; 25: When he
speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. 26: Whose hatred is covered by
deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation. 27: Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall
therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. 28: A lying tongue hateth those that
are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.
Today we are reading in Proverbs 25 & 26. Proverbs 25v1
– 26v28 are a list of proverbs by Solomon. They are all spoken in the third
person. Ch 25v1-28 Are an admonition to fear the LORD Jehovah of Israel. They
were uttered towards Israel
who were under the Law of Moses. In the first verse we read that these proverbs
were copied out of Solomon’s papers and memoirs by the servants of Hezekiah.
They were a sort of treasury of Israel,
in which the very best of the wisdom of Solomon was stored up for future
generations. They are very typical Jewish writings being couplets of truth most
of the time in contrast.
It
is the glory of God to conceal a thing:
but the honour of kings is to search out a
matter.
The
heaven for height, and the earth for depth,
and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
Take
away the dross from the silver,
and there shall come forth a vessel for the
finer.
Take
away the wicked from before the king,
and his throne shall be established in
righteousness.
Put
not forth thyself in the presence of the king,
and stand not in the place of great men:
For
better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither;
than that thou shouldest be put lower in the
presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.
Go
not forth hastily to strive,
lest thou know not what to do in the end
thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.
Debate
thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:
lest he that heareth it put thee to shame,
and thine infamy turn not away.
A
word fitly spoken is like
apples of gold in pictures of silver.
As
an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold,
so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
As
the cold of snow in the time of harvest,
so is a faithful messenger to them that send
him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.
Whoso
boasteth himself of a false gift
is like clouds and wind without rain.
By
long forbearing is a prince persuaded,
and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.
Hast
thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee,
lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
Withdraw
thy foot from thy neighbour's house;
lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.
A
man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul,
and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
Confidence
in an unfaithful man in time of trouble
is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of
joint.
As
he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre,
so is he that singeth songs to an heavy
heart.
If
thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat;
and if he be thirsty, give him water to
drink:
For
thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head,
and the LORD shall reward thee.
The
north wind driveth away rain:
so doth an angry countenance a backbiting
tongue.
It
is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop,
than with a brawling woman and in a wide
house.
As
cold waters to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from a far country.
A
righteous man falling down before the wicked
is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt
spring.
It
is not good to eat much honey:
so for men to search their own glory is not
glory.
He
that hath no rule over his own spirit
is like a city that is broken down, and
without walls.
Ch 26v1-28 is a section in which Solomon gives a series of warnings against the sins of men.
As
snow in summer, and as rain in harvest,
so honour is not seemly for a fool.
As
the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying,
so the curse causeless shall not come.
A
whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass,
and a rod for the fool's back.
Answer
not a fool according to his folly,
lest thou also be like unto him.
Answer
a fool according to his folly,
lest he be wise in his own conceit.
The
point here is that you cannot reason with a fool. Because he does not
understand logic. If you do try to
reason with him then you will need to reason according to the level of
his foolish thinking and that makes you a fool too. And he will think he is
wise like you.
He
that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool
cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.
The
legs of the lame are not equal:
so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
As
he that bindeth a stone in a sling,
so is he that giveth honour to a fool.
As
a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard,
so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
The
great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool,
and rewardeth transgressors.
As
a dog returneth to his vomit,
so a fool returneth to his folly.
Seest
thou a man wise in his own conceit?
there is more hope of a fool than of him.
The
slothful man saith,
there is a lion in the way; a lion is in the
streets.
As
the door turneth upon his hinges,
so doth the slothful upon his bed.
The
slothful hideth his hand in his bosom;
it grieveth him to bring it again to his
mouth.
The
sluggard is wiser in his own conceit
than seven men that can render a reason.
He
that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him,
is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.
As
a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
so is the man that deceiveth his neighbour,
and saith, Am not I in sport?
Where
no wood is, there the fire goeth out:
so where there is no talebearer, the strife
ceaseth.
As
coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire;
so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
The
words of a talebearer are as wounds,
and they go down into the innermost parts of
the belly.
Burning
lips and a wicked heart
are like a potsherd covered with silver
dross.
He
that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;
when he speaketh fair, believe him not: for
there are seven abominations in his heart.
Whose
hatred is covered by deceit,
his wickedness shall be shewed before the
whole congregation.
Whoso
diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone,
it will return upon him.
A
lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it;
and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.
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