The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

  Nations will abhor him.

  25But those who rebuke the wicked will have sdelight,

  And a good blessing will come upon them.

  26He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.

  27t Prepare your outside work,

  Make it fit for yourself in the field;

  And afterward build your house.

  28u Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,

  5 For would you deceive with your lips?

  29v Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me;

  I will render to the man according to his work.”

  30I went by the field of the lazy man,

  And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;

  31And there it was, wall overgrown with thorns;

  Its surface was covered with nettles;

  Its stone wall was broken down.

  32When I saw it, I considered it well;

  I looked on it and received instruction:

  33x A little sleep, a little slumber,

  A little folding of the hands to rest;

  34y So shall your poverty come like 6a prowler,

  And your need like 7an armed man.

  Proverbs 25

  Further Wise Sayings of Solomon

  1Thesea also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied:

  2b It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,

  But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

  3As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,

  So the heart of kings is unsearchable.

  4c Take away the dross from silver,

  And it will go to the silversmith for jewelry.

  5Take away the wicked from before the king,

  And his throne will be established in drighteousness.

  6Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,

  And do not stand in the place of the great;

  7e For it is better that he say to you,

  “Come up here,”

  Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince,

  Whom your eyes have seen.

  8f Do not go hastily to 1court;

  For what will you do in the end,

  When your neighbor has put you to shame?

  9g Debate your case with your neighbor,

  And do not disclose the secret to another;

  10Lest he who hears it expose your shame,

  And 2your reputation be ruined.

  11A word fitly hspoken is like apples of gold

  In settings of silver.

  12Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold

  Is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear.

  13i Like the cold of snow in time of harvest

  Is a faithful messenger to those who send him,

  For he refreshes the soul of his masters.

  14j Whoever falsely boasts of giving

  Is like kclouds and wind without rain.

  15l By long forbearance a ruler is persuaded,

  And a gentle tongue breaks a bone.

  16Have you found honey?

  Eat only as much as you need,

  Lest you be filled with it and vomit.

  17Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house,

  Lest he become weary of you and hate you.

  18m A man who bears false witness against his neighbor

  Is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.

  19Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble

  Is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.

  20Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather,

  And like vinegar on soda,

  Is one who nsings songs to a heavy heart.

  21o If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;

  And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

  22For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,

  p And the LORD will reward you.

  23The north wind brings forth rain,

  And qa backbiting tongue an angry countenance.

  24r It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,

  Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

  25As cold water to a weary soul,

  So is sgood news from a far country.

  26A righteous man who falters before the wicked

  Is like a murky spring and a 3polluted well.

  27It is not good to eat much honey;

  So tto seek one’s own glory is not glory.

  28u Whoever has no rule over his own spirit

  Is like a city broken down, without walls.

  Proverbs 26

  Honor Is Not Fitting for a Fool

  1As snow in summer aand rain in harvest,

  So honor is not fitting for a fool.

  2Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow,

  So ba curse without cause shall not alight.

  3c A whip for the horse,

  A bridle for the donkey,

  And a rod for the fool’s back.

  4Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

  Lest you also be like him.

  5d Answer a fool according to his folly,

  Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

  6He who sends a message by the hand of a fool

  Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

  7Like the legs of the lame that hang limp

  Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

  8Like one who binds a stone in a sling

  Is he who gives honor to a fool.

  9Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard

  Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

  101 The great God who formed everything

  Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.

  11e As a dog returns to his own vomit,

  f So a fool repeats his folly.

  12g Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?

  There is more hope for a fool than for him.

  13The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road!

  A fierce lion is in the 2streets!”

  14As a door turns on its hinges,

  So does the lazy man on his bed.

  15The hlazy man buries his hand in the 3bowl;

  It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

  16The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes

  Than seven men who can answer sensibly.

  17He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own

  Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.

  18Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,

  19Is the man who deceives his neighbor,

  And says, i“I was only joking!”

  20Where there is no wood, the fire goes out;

  And where there is no 4talebearer, strife ceases.

  21j As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire,

  So is a contentious man to kindle strife.

  22The words of a 5talebearer are like 6tasty trifles,

  And they go down into the 7inmost body.

  23Fervent lips with a wicked heart

  Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.

  24He who hates, disguises it with his lips,

  And lays up deceit within himself;

  25k When 8he speaks kindly, do not believe him,

  For there are seven abominations in his heart;

  26Though his hatred is covered by deceit,

  His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.

  27l Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,

  And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

  28A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it,

  And a flattering mouth works mruin.

  Proverbs 27

  My Son, Be Wise

  1Doa not boast about tomorrow,

  For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

  2b Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth;

  A strange
r, and not your own lips.

  3A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,

  But a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them.

  4Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent,

  But cwho is able to stand before jealousy?

  5d Open rebuke is better

  Than love carefully concealed.

  6Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

  But the kisses of an enemy are edeceitful.

  7A satisfied soul 1loathes the honeycomb,

  But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

  8Like a bird that wanders from its nest

  Is a man who wanders from his place.

  9Ointment and perfume delight the heart,

  And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by 2hearty counsel.

  10Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend,

  Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;

  f Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

  11My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,

  g That I may answer him who reproaches me.

  12A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself;

  The simple pass on and are hpunished.

  13Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger,

  And hold it in pledge when he is surety for a seductress.

  14He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,

  It will be counted a curse to him.

  15A icontinual dripping on a very rainy day

  And a contentious woman are alike;

  16Whoever 3restrains her restrains the wind,

  And grasps oil with his right hand.

  17As iron sharpens iron,

  So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

  18j Whoever 4keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit;

  So he who waits on his master will be honored.

  19As in water face reflects face,

  So a man’s heart reveals the man.

  20k Hell5 and 6Destruction are never full;

  So lthe eyes of man are never satisfied.

  21m The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,

  And a man is valued by what others say of him.

  22n Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,

  Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

  23Be diligent to know the state of your oflocks,

  And attend to your herds;

  24For riches are not forever,

  Nor does a crown endure to all generations.

  25p When the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself,

  And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,

  26The lambs will provide your clothing,

  And the goats the price of a field;

  27You shall have enough goats’ milk for your food,

  For the food of your household,

  And the nourishment of your maidservants.

  Proverbs 28

  The Righteous Are Bold as a Lion

  1The awicked flee when no one pursues,

  But the righteous are bold as a lion.

  2Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes;

  But by a man of understanding and knowledge

  Right will be prolonged.

  3b A poor man who oppresses the poor

  Is like a driving rain 1which leaves no food.

  4c Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,

  d But such as keep the law contend with them.

  5e Evil men do not understand justice,

  But fthose who seek the LORD understand all.

  6Better is the poor who walks in his integrity

  Than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

  7Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son,

  But a companion of gluttons shames his father.

  8One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion

  Gathers it for him who will pity the poor.

  9One who turns away his ear from hearing the law,

  g Even his prayer is an abomination.

  10h Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way,

  He himself will fall into his own pit;

  i But the blameless will inherit good.

  11The rich man is wise in his own eyes,

  But the poor who has understanding searches him out.

  12When the righteous rejoice, there is great jglory;

  But when the wicked arise, men 2hide themselves.

  13k He who covers his sins will not prosper,

  But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

  14Happy is the man who is always reverent,

  But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

  15l Like a roaring lion and a charging bear

  m Is a wicked ruler over poor people.

  16A ruler who lacks understanding is a great noppressor,

  But he who hates covetousness will prolong his days.

  17o A man burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit;

  Let no one help him.

  18Whoever walks blamelessly will be 3saved,

  But he who is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.

  19p He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,

  But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!

  20A faithful man will abound with blessings,

  q But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

  21r To 4show partiality is not good,

  s Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress.

  22A man with an evil eye hastens after riches,

  And does not consider that tpoverty will come upon him.

  23u He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward

  Than he who flatters with the tongue.

  24Whoever robs his father or his mother,

  And says, “It is no transgression,”

  The same vis companion to a destroyer.

  25w He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife,

  x But he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered.

  26He who ytrusts in his own heart is a fool,

  But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

  27z He who gives to the poor will not lack,

  But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.

  28When the wicked arise, amen hide themselves;

  But when they perish, the righteous increase.

  Proverbs 29

  Happy Is He Who Keeps the Law

  1Hea who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck,

  Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

  2When the righteous 1are in authority, the bpeople rejoice;

  But when a wicked man rules, cthe people groan.

  3Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice,

  But a companion of harlots wastes his wealth.

  4The king establishes the land by justice,

  But he who receives bribes overthrows it.

  5A man who dflatters his neighbor

  Spreads a net for his feet.

  6By transgression an evil man is snared,

  But the righteous sings and rejoices.

  7The righteous econsiders the cause of the poor,

  But the wicked does not understand such knowledge.

  8Scoffers fset a city aflame,

  But wise men turn away wrath.

  9If a wise man contends with a foolish man,

  g Whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace.

  10h The bloodthirsty hate the blameless,

  But the upright seek his 2well-being.

  11A fool vents all his ifeelings,3

  But a wise man holds them back.

  12If a ruler pays attention to lies,

  All his servants become wicked.

  13The poor man and the oppressor have this in common:

  j The LORD gives light to the eyes of both.

  1
4The king who judges the kpoor with truth,

  His throne will be established forever.

  15The rod and rebuke give lwisdom,

  But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

  16When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increases;

  But the righteous will see their mfall.

  17Correct your son, and he will give you rest;

  Yes, he will give delight to your soul.

  18n Where there is no 4revelation, the people cast off restraint;

  But ohappy is he who keeps the law.

  19A servant will not be corrected by mere words;

  For though he understands, he will not respond.

  20Do you see a man hasty in his words?

  p There is more hope for a fool than for him.

  21He who pampers his servant from childhood

  Will have him as a son in the end.

  22q An angry man stirs up strife,

  And a furious man abounds in transgression.

  23r A man’s pride will bring him low,

  But the humble in spirit will retain honor.

  24Whoever is a partner with a thief hates his own life;

  s He 5swears to tell the truth, but reveals nothing.

  25t The fear of man brings a snare,

  But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be 6safe.

  26u Many seek the ruler’s 7favor,

  But justice for man comes from the LORD.

  27An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,

  And he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.

  Proverbs 30

  The Wisdom of Agur

  1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal:

  2a Surely I am more stupid than any man,

  And do not have the understanding of a man.

  3I neither learned wisdom

  Nor have bknowledge of the Holy One.

  4c Who has ascended into heaven, or descended?

  d Who has gathered the wind in His fists?

  Who has bound the waters in a garment?

  Who has established all the ends of the earth?

  What is His name, and what is His Son’s name,

  If you know?

  5e Every word of God is 1pure;

  f He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.

  6g Do not add to His words,

  Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

  7Two things I request of You

  (Deprive me not before I die):

  8Remove falsehood and lies far from me;

  Give me neither poverty nor riches—

  h Feed me with the food allotted to me;

  9i Lest I be full and deny You,

  And say, “Who is the LORD?”

  Or lest I be poor and steal,