More wise sayings from Solomon

25 Here are more wise sayings/words that Solomon wrote. Some men who worked for Hezekiah, the king of Judah, copied them from a scroll that Solomon had written.

2  We consider God to be great because he ◄acts in mysterious ways/does things that we cannot understand►;

we consider kings to be great because they explain things.

3  It is not possible for anyone to measure how high the sky is or how deep the earth/ocean is;

likewise [SIM], it is not possible for us to know all that kings are thinking.

4  If workers burn out the impure bits that are in silver,

a man who makes things from silver can make something beautiful from the silver.

5  Similarly, if wicked advisors are taken away from a king,

his government will remain secure, because the king will be able to act justly.

6 When you stand in front of a king, do not try to ◄impress him/honor yourself►

and do not ◄act like you are important/ask to sit where important people sit;►

7 it is better if someone tells you to sit closer to the king

than for someone to tell you, while the king is listening, to sit further away in order that someone who is more important may sit closer to the king.

8 Do not quickly go to a court to tell the judge about something that you have seen,

because another witness may later say something that proves that you are wrong, and as a result you will be disgraced/ashamed.

If that happens, ◄what will you do?/you will not know what to do.► [RHQ]

9 If you and someone else think differently about some matter,

settle it between yourselves, and do not tell others any secret that he has told you.

10 If others find out that you have told secrets,

you will be ashamed,

and from that time on, ◄you will have a bad reputation/people will think badly about you►.

11 Something that is said that is very appropriate

is as delightful as seeing [SIM] gold apples/ornaments in a silver bowl.

12 When a wise person rebukes/warns someone [SYN] who is willing to listen,

that is as valuable as [SIM] a gold ring or a gold chain.

13 A messenger who ◄is reliable/tells someone else exactly what he was told to say► refreshes the spirits of his bosses who sent him

like [SIM] ◄snow/cold water► refreshes the ground at the time that people harvest crops.

14 When someone promises to give a gift to us but never gives it,

that disappoints us as much as [SIM] clouds and wind that come but do not bring any rain.

15 If someone keeps requesting a ruler long enough to do something, he will often agree to do it;

similarly, by speaking [MTY] gently we can often convince others that what we say is right [IDM].

16 If you find some honey, do not eat a lot of it,

because doing that may cause you to vomit.

17 Do not go to your neighbor’s house very often to talk with him;

if you go very often, he will get tired of listening to you and start to hate you.

18 To falsely accuse others in court

is like [SIM] attacking them with a war-club or a sword or a sharp arrow.

19 Depending on unreliable people when you have troubles

is as bad as trying to eat when you have a bad/hurting tooth or trying to walk when your foot is crippled.

20 Singing to someone who is depressed just causes him to feel worse;

it is like [SIM] taking off clothes on a very cold day

or like putting vinegar on a wound.

21 If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat;

if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;

22 doing that will cause them to feel ashamed [IDM],

and Yahweh will reward you for doing that.

23 When wind blows from the right direction, it will rain;

similarly [SIM], if we gossip about others, that causes them to look at us very angrily.

24 It is better to live ◄alone/by yourself► in the corner of an attic/housetop

than to live inside the house with a wife who is always nagging.

25 Receiving good news from a country far away refreshes our spirits

like [SIM] cold water refreshes us when we are very thirsty.

26 When a righteous/good person ◄gives in/yields► to wicked people,

that is as bad as [SIM] a spring that becomes muddied or a fountain that becomes polluted.

27 It is not good to eat too much honey,

and trying to get people to praise you is also not good.

28 People who ◄cannot control their tempers/quickly become very angry► are unable to defend their behavior;

that is like having a city without a wall around it, with the result that no one can defend it.

26 Just like [SIM] it is not appropriate for snow to fall in summer time, or rain to fall at harvest time,

it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.

2 Like [SIM] birds that fly by and do not alight/land on anything,

if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you ◄do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong►.

3 It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey to force them to go where we want them to go,

and similarly [SIM] it is often necessary to strike foolish people with a stick to cause them to do what is right.

4 If a foolish person asks a foolish question, do not answer him,

because if you answer his question, you are just as foolish as he is.

5 If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question,

he will realize that he is ◄not very wise/foolish►.

6 Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone

is himself doing something as foolish as cutting off his own feet

or drinking poison.

7 A lame man cannot use his legs,

and similarly [SIM] it is useless for a foolish person to speak [MTY] ◄proverbs/wise sayings►.

8 Tying a stone in a sling so that it cannot be thrown at a target

is as foolish as [SIM] honoring a foolish person.

9 If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand,

he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that (OR, he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand);

similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs,

they do not help anyone who hears them.

10 A man who shoots arrows to try to wound everybody who is near is foolish;

similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person who passes by is very foolish.

11 A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time;

it is like [SIM] a dog returning to eat what it has vomited.

12  God can help/bless foolish people more easily

than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.

13 Lazy people just stay inside their houses and do nothing;

they keep saying “I think there is a lion in the street!”

14 A door continually swings back and forth on its hinges and does not go anywhere;

similarly [SIM], lazy people just continually turn over in their beds and never do anything.

15 Some people are extremely lazy;

they put their hand in a dish to get some food but do not even lift the food up to their mouths.

16 Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people

who can answer others’ questions with good sense.

17 Anyone who ◄meddles/involves himself► in a quarrel that does not concern him

is as foolish as [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.

18 Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people

19 are as foolish as those who deceive someone else

and then say, “I was only joking.”

20 If there is no more firewood to put on the fire, the fire will go out;

similarly [SIM], if there are no people who ◄gossip/tell people things that are not true►, quarreling will end.

21  Putting charcoal on burning coals or putting wood on a fire causes the fire to keep burning;

similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.

22 People enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like [SIM] they enjoy tasty food;

they enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like they enjoy swallowing tasty food.

23 People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things

are like a nice glaze/covering on a cheap clay pot.

24 Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites;

they are only planning to harm that person.

25 When they say nice things, do not believe them,

because in their inner beings are many things that Yahweh hates.

26 They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate that person,

but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things that they have done.

27 Those who dig a deep pit for other people to fall into will fall into it themselves;

rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down to crush someone.

28 Those [MTY] who tell lies to others really hate them,

and those who deceive others ruin them.

27 Do not boast about what you will do tomorrow,

because you do not know what will happen [PRS] on any day.

2 Do not praise yourself [MTY, PRS]; allow others to praise you.

If someone else praises you, that is okay.

3  It causes pain to our bodies to carry heavy stones or a pail full of sand,

but doing something stupid/foolish can cause great pain to other people’s spirits.

4 It is cruel to be angry with others, and our being angry sometimes destroys others,

but being jealous of someone is [RHQ] often more cruel than that.

5 It is better to correct someone openly

than to show that you l don’t love that person by not correcting him.

6 If a friend criticizes you, he is a good friend and you can trust him;

but if one of your enemies kisses you, he is probably wanting to deceive you.

7 When someone’s stomach is full, he does not want to eat honey;

but when someone is very hungry, he thinks that even bitter things taste sweet.

8 Anyone who wanders far from his home/family

is like [SIM] a bird that is far from its nest.

9  Putting olive oil and perfume on a person’s skin causes him to feel good,

but having a friend who gives good advice is even better.

10 Do not neglect your friends or your parents’ friends;

and at a time when you are experiencing a disaster, do not go to a relative who lives far away to request his help;

someone who lives near you can help you more than relatives who live far away.

11 My child/son, cause me to be happy by becoming wise,

in order that I will know how to reply to those who would criticize me about your behavior.

12 Those who have good sense will realize that there is something dangerous ahead, and they will hide;

those who do not have good sense just keep going, and later they will suffer because of doing that.

13  You deserve to have your property taken from you

if you foolishly promise to a stranger (OR, a strange woman) that you will pay what she owes if she is unable to pay it [DOU].

14 If you rise early in the morning and call out a greeting to your neighbor while he is still sleeping,

he will consider it to be a curse, not a blessing.

15  Having a wife that is constantly nagging

is as bad as listening to rain continually dripping on a rainy day.

16  Trying to restrain/stop her from doing that is as difficult [SIM] as trying to stop the wind

or trying to hold oil in your hand.

17  We can use one iron tool to sharpen another iron tool;

similarly [SIM], when one person shares what he is thinking, it can help other people to think more clearly.

18 Those who take care of fig trees will have figs to eat;

similarly, servants who protect their master will be honored by him.

19  When a person looks in the water, he sees his own face;

similarly [SIM], when we look at a person’s behavior, we know what he is thinking.

20  It is as though the place where the dead people are is always wanting more people to die and come there;

and humans [SYN] are always wanting to acquire more things, too.

21  Workers put silver and gold in a very hot furnace to burn out what is impure,

and [SIM] people learn what we are really like when they see how we react when people praise us.

22 Even if you beat/crush a fool severely like [MET] you pulverize grain with a pestle,

you probably will not be able to cause him to stop ◄being foolish/doing foolish things►.

23 Take good care of your flocks of sheep

and herds of cattle,

24 because the money that you acquired from selling animals previously will not ◄last/stay with you► forever;

similarly [SIM], governments [MTY] certainly do not [RHQ] last forever.

25 After you cut the hay [DOU] and store it to feed the animals in the winter while a new crop of hay is growing,

26 you will be able to shear the sheep and make clothes from the wool,

and you will get money from selling some of the goats to buy more land,

27 and you will get enough milk from the other goats

for you and your family and your female servants.

28 Wicked people run away even when no one is pursuing them,

but righteous/good people are not afraid; they are as brave as lions.

2 When the people of a nation sin, they will have one ruler after another;

but when their leaders are wise and have good sense, their government will last for a long time.

3 A poor person who oppresses other poor people

is like [MET] a very heavy/hard rain that destroys the crops, with the result that there is no food for people to eat.

4 Those who reject/disobey God’s laws always speak well of wicked people;

but those who obey God’s laws always oppose what wicked people do.

5 Evil people do not understand what it means to act justly,

but those who try to obey/worship Yahweh understand that very well.

6 It is better to be honest even though you are poor

than to be dishonest even though you are rich.

7 Young people who obey the laws are wise [IDM];

parents whose children associate with those who ◄carouse/go to wild parties► are humiliated/disgraced because of what their children do.

8 When people become very rich by charging very high interest [DOU],

their money will eventually go to someone who does kind things for the poor.

9 If people do not obey [MTY] God’s laws,

God ◄detests their prayers/considers that their prayers stink►.

10 Those who cause honest/good people to do what is evil

will fall into their own pits/traps,

but good things will happen to those who ◄are innocent/have not done what is wrong►.

11  Many rich people think that they are wise,

but poor people who have good sense will find out whether rich people really are wise or not.

12 When righteous/good people ◄succeed/win elections►, everyone ◄celebrates/is happy►;

but when wicked people win, everyone hides because they are afraid of what the wicked people will do.

13 Those who refuse to confess/admit their sins will not prosper,

but God acts mercifully/kindly toward those who confess their sins and turn away from their sinful behavior.

14  God is pleased with those who always revere him,

but those who are stubborn [IDM] will experience disasters.

15 Wicked people who mistreat poor people whom they rule

are as dangerous to them as [SIM] a lion roaring at them or a bear springing up to attack them.

16 Rulers who do not have good sense cruelly oppress the people they rule,

but rulers who do not want to become rich by cheating/deceiving people will live (OR, rule) for a long time.

17 Those who are guilty of murdering [MTY] another person

will ◄be fugitives/keep running away► until they die;

do not help them to escape.

18 Those who continually do what is right will be safe/protected,

but those who are dishonest will suddenly be ruined.

19 Farmers who work hard in their fields will produce good crops and always have plenty of food to eat,

but those who spend all their time ◄on useless projects/doing things that do not benefit anyone► will become very poor.

20  God will greatly bless those who ◄are trustworthy/always do what they say that they will do►,

but he will certainly punish [LIT] those who try to become rich quickly.

21 It is not good for judges to decide matters unfairly/unjustly,

but some people will do what is wrong even if they receive only a very small bribe [HYP] for doing it.

22 Selfish people [IDM] are very eager to become rich quickly;

they do not realize that they will soon become poor.

23 Those who rebuke someone will be appreciated/thanked more

than those who say nice things to others merely to ◄flatter them/cause them to feel good►.

24 Anyone who steals things from his father or his mother

and says “That is not sinful”

is as bad as a bandit.

25 Greedy people cause trouble/strife;

those who trust in Yahweh will prosper [IDM].

26 Those who believe that what they think is always right are foolish;

those who act wisely will ◄escape danger/be safe►.

27 Those who give things to poor people will not become poor,

but many people will curse those who refuse to help [IDM] poor people.

28 When wicked people become rulers, people hide because they are afraid of what those wicked people will do;

but when wicked people are no longer rulers, good/righteous people will become the rulers.

29 Some people remain stubborn [IDM] even though they are often reproved/warned about doing what is wrong,

but some day they will be crushed/ruined, and nothing will be able to heal them.

2 When righteous people are rulers, people are happy,

but when wicked people rule, people ◄groan/are miserable►.

3 Those who are eager to become wise cause their parents to be glad;

those who spend their time with prostitutes will end up giving all their money to them.

4 When a king rules justly/fairly, he causes his nation to be strong,

but a king who is concerned only with getting more money from the people ruins his nation.

5 Those who ◄flatter others/say nice things to others merely to cause them to feel good► are really setting a trap for them (OR, for themselves) [SYN].

6 Evil people will be trapped by the sins that they commit,

but righteous/honest people will sing and be joyful/happy.

7 Righteous/Good people know that poor people should be treated fairly/justly,

but wicked people ◄are not concerned about/do not pay attention to► those matters at all.

8 Those who make fun of everything that is good say things that cause everyone in the city to ◄be agitated/in turmoil►;

those who are wise enable people to remain calm.

9 If a wise person sues a foolish person,

the foolish person merely laughs at him and yells at him and will not be quiet (OR, the dispute will not be resolved).

10 Those who murder others hate people who ◄are honest/always do what is right►,

but righteous people try to protect them.

11 People who are wise are patient and restrain/control themselves when they are angry,

but foolish people ◄quickly show others that they are very angry/do not restrain themselves at all►.

12 If a ruler ◄pays attention to/believes► people who tell lies,

all his officials will also become wicked.

13 There is one thing that is true about both poor people and those who oppress them:

Yahweh enables all of them to see.

14 If kings judge poor people fairly,

they will continue to rule for a long time.

15 If children are punished/spanked and reproved/warned,

they become wise;

but if they are allowed to do whatever they want to do,

they do things that cause their mothers to be ashamed of them.

16 When wicked people rule, there are more crimes committed {people commit more crimes},

but some day those wicked people will ◄be defeated/no longer rule►, and righteous people will see that happen.

17 If you discipline your children, they will no longer do things that will cause you to be worried;

instead, they will do things that will delight you [SYN].

18 When the people of a nation do not receive messages that come directly from God, they do not control their behavior.

God is pleased with those who obey his laws.

19 It is not possible to correct/discipline servants only by talking to them;

they understand what you are saying, but they do not pay attention to it.

20  God can help/bless foolish people more easily [RHQ]

than he can help/bless people who speak without thinking first.

21 If someone gives his servants everything that they want, starting from when they are young,

some day those servants will take from him everything that he owns.

22 Those who quickly become angry cause many arguments,

and they also commit many sins.

23 Proud people will be disgraced;

those who are humble will be respected.

24 Those who help thieves to steal only hurt themselves;

when they are in court, they solemnly ask God to curse them if they do not tell the truth,

but they do not tell the truth about the crime that was committed,

and as a result, God will curse them.

25 It is like a dangerous trap [MET] for people to be ◄afraid of/worried about► what others will think about them,

but those who trust in Yahweh are safe/protected.

26 Many people request rulers to do things to help them,

but Yahweh is the only one who surely does for people what is fair/just.

27 Righteous people hate/detest those who do what is evil,

and wicked people hate those whose behavior is always good.