Proverbs 25:1-14

25:1These too are proverbs of Solomon,
which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, copied.
2It is the glory of God to conceal a matter
and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.
3As the heaven is high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated.
4Remove impurities from silver,
and a vessel will be produced for a silversmith.
5Remove the wicked from the king's presence,
and his throne will be established in righteousness.
6Don't brag about yourself before the king,
and don't stand in the place of the great;
7for it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here!"
than to demote you in plain view of a noble.
8Don't take a matter to court hastily.
Otherwise, what will you do afterward
if your opponent humiliates you?
9Make your case with your opponent
without revealing another's secret;
10otherwise, the one who hears will disgrace you,
and you'll never live it down.
11A word spoken at the right time
is like gold apples on a silver tray.
12A wise correction to a receptive ear
is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.
13To those who send him, a trustworthy messenger
is like the coolness of snow on a harvest day;
he refreshes the life of his masters.
14The man who boasts about a gift that does not exist
is like clouds and wind without rain.