30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek A.C. 964. mixed wine. 31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. 33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Or, a cockatrice. heart of the 34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down † in the midst ↑ Heb. in the of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. sea. 35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I Heb. I knew awake? I will seek it yet again. PROVERBS XXIV. it not. 1 Be not thou envious against cvil men, neither desire ḥ Pa. xxxvii. to be with them. 2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. 3 Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: 4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. 1, &c. & lxxiii 3. ch. xxiii. 17. ver. 19. 5 A wise man § is strong; yea, a man of knowledge || in- § Heb. is in creaseth strength. 6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: in multitude of counsellors there is safety. 7 Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not mouth in the gate. strength. || Heb. and strengtheneth might. his 18. 8 He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person. 9 The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men. 10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. * Heb. narrow. 11 If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto 1P. lxxxii. 4. death, and those that are ready to be slain; 12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works? 23 m Job xxxiv. 13 My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the Jl. Ps. lxii. 12. honeycomb, which is sweet † to thy taste: 14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, thy expectation shall not be cut off. Jer. xxxii. 19. soul:+Heb. upon & cxix. 103. och. xxiii. 18. A.C. 984. Job v. 19. Ps. xxxiv. 19. 15 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: 16 P For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up & xxxvii. 24. again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. x ch. XX. 28. + Heb. set my heart. 17. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth : 18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he his wrath from him. turn away 19+Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked; S 20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out. 21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with § them that are given to change: 22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both? t 23 These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. 2 24" He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: 25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and || a good blessing shall come upon them. 26 Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer. 27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house. 28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips. X 29 Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me : I will render to the man according to his work. 30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; 31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. 32 Then I saw, and † considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. y ch. vi. 9, &c. 33 y Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of Heb. a man of shield. the hands to sleep: 34 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man. 1 Observations about kings, 8 and about avoiding causes of quarrels, and sundry causes thereof. 1 These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of A.C. 984. 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. Heb. there is no search g 5 Take away the wicked from before the king, and his z ch. xx. 8. throne shall be established in righteousness. out thy glory. 6 † Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and + Heb. Set not 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. a Luke xiv. 8, 9, 10. b Matt. v. 25. & xviii. 15. of another. Heb. spoken upon his wheels. 13 As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a c ch. xiii. 17. 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 | Heb. in a and wind without rain. 15 By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft d 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. " Part the fourth is supposed to have been selected from a larger collection of Proverbs by the men of Hezekiah; that is, by the prophets whom he employed to restore the service and writings of the church, as Eliakim, and Joáh, and Shebna; and probably Hosea, Micah, and even Isaiah. All these flourished in the reign of Hezekiah, and endeavoured to revive true religion among the Jews. gift of falsehood. Gen. xxxii. 4, &c. 1 Sam. xxv. 24. &c. ch. xv. 1. & xvi. 14. A. C. 984. • Or, Let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbour's house. + Or, The north wind 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, 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 bringeth forth Countenance a backbiting tongue. rain: so doth a backbiting tongue an angry countenance. ech. xix. 13., & xxi. 9, 19, fch. xvi. 32. g Ps. xxxii. 9. ch. x. 13. 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 fHe that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. PROVERBS XXVI. 1 Observations about fools, 13 about sluggards, 17 and about contentious busy bodies. 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 Heb. his own his own conceit. eyes. 6 He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool ◊ Or, violence. cutteth off the feet, and drinketh § damage. || Heb. are lifted up. *Or, As he that putteth a precious stone in an heap of stones. 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 A.C. 984. the fool, and rewardeth transgressors. 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 lion is in the streets. way; a 14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. man *Or, A great all, and he kireth the fool, he hireth also grieveth transgressors. h2 Pet ii. 22, + Heb. iterat eth his folly ich. xxii. 13. 15 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; tit k ch. xix. 24. 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? 201 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: where there is no + talebearer, the strife ceaseth. 21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; is a contentious man to kindle strife. Or, he is weary. Or, is en raged. Heb. flames, or, sparks. so* Heb. with so out wood. 1 ch. xxii. 10. + Or, whis perer Heb. is si lent. m ch. xv. 18. 22 - The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they x 22. go down into the § innermost parts of the belly. 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. n ch. xviii. 8. (Heb. cham bers. o Or, is known. Ps. xxviii. 3. Jer. ix. 8. 27 P Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that secret. Folleth a stone, it will return upon him. 28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin. PROVERBS XXVII. Į Observations of selflove, 5 of true love, 11 of care to avoid offences, 23 and of the houshold care. p Ps. vii. 15, 16. & ix. 15. Eccles. x. 8. 1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest & Luke xii. 19, not what a day may bring forth. 20. James iv. 2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth ; morrow day. a stranger, and not thine own lips. |