Bible Reading Plan

¹ These too are proverbs of Solomon,^(a)
which the men of Hezekiah,^(b) king of Judah, copied.

² It is the glory of God to conceal a matter^(c)
and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.
³ As the heaven is high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated.

⁴ Remove impurities from silver,^(d)
and a vessel will be produced^[a] for a silversmith.^(e)
5 Remove the wicked from the king's presence,^(f)
and his throne will be established in righteousness.^(g)

⁶ Don't brag about yourself before the king,
and don't stand in the place of the great;
⁷ for it is better for him to say to you, "Come up here!"
than to demote you in plain view of a noble.^[b](h)

⁸ Don't take a matter to court hastily.⁽ⁱ⁾
Otherwise, what will you do afterward
if your opponent^[c] humiliates you?
⁹ Make your case with your opponent^[d]
without revealing another's secret;^(j)
10 otherwise, the one who hears will disgrace you,
and you'll never live it down.^[e]

¹¹ A word spoken at the right time
is like gold apples on a silver tray.^[f](k)
12 A wise correction to a receptive ear^(l)
is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.

¹³ To those who send him, a trustworthy messenger
is like the coolness of snow on a harvest day;
he refreshes the life of his masters.^(m)

¹⁴ The man who boasts about a gift that does not exist
is like clouds and wind without rain.^(n)
15 A ruler can be persuaded through patience,
and a gentle tongue can break a bone.^(o)
16 If you find honey,^(p) eat only what you need;
otherwise, you'll get sick from it and vomit.^(q)
17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house;
otherwise, he'll get sick of you and hate you.

¹⁸ A man giving false testimony against his neighbor^(r)
is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.^(s)
19 Trusting an unreliable person in a difficult time
is like a rotten tooth or a faltering foot.^(t)

²⁰ Singing songs to a troubled heart
is like taking off clothing on a cold day
or like pouring vinegar on soda.^[g](u)

²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;^(v)
22 for you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.^(w)

²³ The north wind produces rain,
and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.
²⁴ Better to live on the corner of a roof
than to share a house with a nagging wife.^(x)
25 Good news from a distant land
is like cold water to a parched throat.^[h](y)
26 A righteous person who yields to the wicked^(z)
is like a muddied spring or a polluted well.^(aa)
27 It is not good to eat too much honey^(ab)
or to seek glory after glory.^[i](ac)
28 A man who does not control his temper^(ad)
is like a city whose wall is broken down.^(ae)