Proverbs Chapter 25
Showing all 28 verses for Proverbs Chapter 25.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out. "
"This is a new set of Solomon's wise sayings, written down generations later by scribes working for King Hezekiah of Judah."
I want you to notice something here: someone thought this wisdom was worth saving for people who hadn't even been born yet. That's what I want for you too - not just to take in wisdom for yourself, but to become someone who passes on what's true and good to those who come after you.
"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. "
"It is God's glory to keep some things hidden; but the honour of kings is shown in their skill at investigating and getting to the bottom of a matter."
Some mysteries aren't yours to solve, and that's alright - stop torturing yourself trying to master what was never meant to be fully known. But where you can dig for truth, do it wholeheartedly; a curious, honest mind that keeps searching honours the life you've been given.
"The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable. "
"You can't measure how high the sky goes or how deep the earth reaches - and in the same way, you can't fully know what's going on inside a ruler's mind."
Don't build your sense of security on thinking you've got powerful people completely worked out - you can't see inside anyone's heart. Build your security instead on how you act with integrity, whatever those above you are really thinking.
"Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. "
"Remove the impurities from silver, and the silversmith can shape it into something valuable."
I ask you to be honest about what needs removing from your own life before you expect real growth - the good things you're capable of can't fully form while junk is still mixed in. Let the refining happen; it's uncomfortable but it's how you become useful and whole.
"Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness. "
"Get rid of corrupt people from the king's presence, and his rule will be built on solid, honest foundations."
Look honestly at who has influence over your decisions. I don't ask you to cut people off in anger, but I do ask you to notice whose voice you're letting shape you, and to choose wisely who gets closest to your heart and your choices.
"Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: "
"Don't push yourself forward in front of important people, and don't claim a seat among the powerful that isn't yours."
I want you to let go of the need to grab the best seat, the biggest title, the loudest credit. There's real freedom in not needing to prove your worth by muscling to the front - let your character be seen instead, and trust that genuine worth doesn't need to shout.
"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. "
"It's better to be invited to move up to a better seat than to be publicly demoted in front of someone important who's watching."
Real honour, the kind that matters, is never something you can seize for yourself - it's given. Do good quietly, be patient, and let recognition come in its own time; you'll never regret the dignity patience protects.
"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. "
"Don't rush into an argument or legal dispute, because you might not know what to do once your opponent proves you wrong and embarrasses you."
Before you fight for what feels urgent and right, take a breath and check whether you actually have the full picture. I'd rather you be slow to anger and careful with conflict than quick to accuse and later ashamed - humility before a disagreement saves you real pain after it.
"Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another: "
"If you have a dispute with someone, sort it out directly with that person - don't go telling someone else their private business."
When you have a conflict with someone, have the courage to go to them directly instead of talking about them behind their back. That takes more bravery than gossip does, but it's the only path that actually heals a relationship instead of just damaging a reputation.
"Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away. "
"Otherwise, whoever hears about it will shame you, and you won't be able to shake off your bad reputation."
Guard what people tell you in confidence as if it were treasure, because it is. I promise you, the discipline of being someone others can trust with their secrets is worth far more than any short-term satisfaction you'd get from sharing them.
"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. "
"The right word said at exactly the right moment is as beautiful and valuable as gold apples set in silver carvings."
Don't just think about what to say - think about when to say it. I want you to pay attention to timing: a word of encouragement, correction or truth, offered at the moment someone can actually receive it, can be one of the most valuable gifts you ever give another person.
"As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear. "
"A wise person's correction, given to someone actually willing to listen, is as valuable as fine gold jewellery."
Don't be afraid of correction from people who genuinely want your good - learn to receive it as the gift it is rather than an attack. When someone finally has the courage to be honest with you, that's often a sign of real love, not rejection.
"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. "
"A reliable messenger is as refreshing to the people who sent him as a cool blast of snow would be in the middle of a hot harvest - he brings relief to those who rely on him."
Be the person others can send out and trust completely to represent them well - not because you're chasing praise, but because faithfulness itself brings relief and peace to the people who depend on you. That kind of reliability is a quiet form of love.
"Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain. "
"Someone who brags about giving something they never actually deliver is like storm clouds and wind that promise rain but never produce any."
Let your promises match your actions. I'd rather you promise less and deliver fully than build people's hopes up with words that never turn into anything real - broken promises don't just disappoint, they erode the trust real relationships are built on.
"By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone. "
"A ruler can be won over through patience, and a gentle way of speaking can break down resistance as hard as bone."
Don't mistake gentleness for weakness - it's often the strongest tool you have, especially when you're up against someone stubborn or more powerful than you. Stay patient, keep your words soft, and trust that this quiet strength can accomplish what force never could.
"Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. "
"If you find honey, only eat as much as you need - overdo it and you'll make yourself sick and throw it up."
Enjoy the good things in your life fully, but learn to recognise 'enough'. I'm not asking you to deprive yourself - I'm asking you to notice when more of a good thing stops adding joy and starts causing harm, and to have the wisdom to stop there.
"Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee. "
"Don't visit your neighbour's house too often - overstay your welcome and they'll get tired of you and end up resenting you."
Love people well by also respecting their need for space - real friendship isn't measured by how much of someone's time you take up. Pay attention to whether your presence is a gift to someone or a burden, and have the humility to notice the difference.
"A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow. "
"Someone who lies about another person in testimony is as dangerous as a war-club, a sword and a sharp arrow all at once."
Guard your tongue especially when speaking about someone who isn't in the room to defend themselves - words spoken against another person's character can wound as deeply as any weapon. If you love your neighbour, protect their reputation the way you'd want your own protected.
"Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint. "
"Trusting an unreliable person when things get hard is as painful and useless as biting down on a broken tooth or trying to walk on a dislocated foot."
Choose carefully who you lean on when life gets hard - not everyone who says they'll be there for you actually will be. Test trust in the calm seasons of life, and don't be afraid to notice, without bitterness, who consistently shows up and who doesn't.
"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. "
"Singing cheerful songs to someone whose heart is breaking is as jarring and useless as stripping off someone's coat in freezing weather, or pouring vinegar onto soda - it just creates an unpleasant reaction."
When someone you love is grieving, resist the urge to cheer them up or rush them past their pain - sit with them in it instead. I don't ask you to fix people's sorrow with forced positivity; I ask you to be present with them in it, the way real love always is.
"If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: "
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he's thirsty, give him water."
This is close to the heart of everything I taught: love isn't just for people who are easy to love. When someone has wronged you, meeting their real need instead of their hostility is one of the most powerful, disarming things you can ever do - it breaks the cycle of revenge that otherwise just keeps spinning.
"For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee. "
"Doing this will be like heaping burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you for it."
You won't always see the coal-on-the-head moment - the enemy softening, feeling ashamed, changing their heart - but that's not why you do it. Do good because it's who you're becoming, and trust that nothing done in love is ever wasted, even when you can't see its effect.
"The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. "
"Just as a north wind drives rain away, a stern, disapproving face puts a stop to gossiping and slander."
You don't have to stay silent when you hear someone being torn down behind their back - your visible discomfort or disapproval can be enough to stop it. Have the quiet courage to not smile along with gossip; it protects both the person being talked about and your own integrity.
"It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house. "
"It's better to live crammed into a corner of the roof than share a spacious house with a constantly arguing spouse."
Don't measure your life by the size of your house or the comfort of your circumstances - measure it by the peace within your closest relationships. If you find yourself in constant conflict with someone you're meant to be closest to, that's worth far more attention than any external comfort.
"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. "
"Good news arriving from far away is as refreshing as a drink of cold water to someone who is desperately thirsty."
Think about who in your life might be thirsty for good news right now - a message, a call, a word of encouragement from you could be exactly the relief someone desperately needs. Don't underestimate how much good a small piece of good news, delivered at the right time, can do for someone waiting.
"A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring. "
"A good person who caves in and gives way to wicked people is like a clean spring that's been trampled and turned to mud - something meant to be pure has been ruined."
When you stand for what's right, remember other people are drawing strength from your example, even when you don't realise it. I don't ask you to be perfect, but I do ask you to fight for your integrity - not just for your own sake, but because others are relying on the clean water you provide.
"It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory. "
"Just as eating too much honey isn't good for you, chasing after your own glory and praise isn't actually glorious."
Do good things because they're good, not because you're hungry for recognition - the moment glory-seeking becomes the point, whatever you're doing loses its real worth. I promise you, the quiet good you do without an audience matters more than anything done for applause.
"He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. "
"Someone who can't control their own temper and impulses is as exposed and defenceless as a city whose walls have been knocked down."
Self-control isn't about restriction for its own sake - it's the wall that protects everything valuable inside you. I want you to build that wall, not because your desires are bad, but because an undefended life gets overrun by whatever shows up, and you deserve better than that.