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balance

Proverbs 25:1-28 (JDV).

Proverbs 25:1 These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of King Hezekiah of Judah copied.
Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.
Proverbs 25:3 As the heavens are high and the land is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated.
Proverbs 25:4 Remove impurities from silver, and material will be produced for a silversmith.
Proverbs 25:5 Remove the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
Proverbs 25:6 Don’t boast about yourself before the king, and don’t stand in the place of the great;
Proverbs 25:7 because he should say to you, “Come up here!” than to demote you in plain view of a noble.
Proverbs 25:8 Don’t take a matter to court hastily. Otherwise, what will you do afterward if your opponent humiliates you?
Proverbs 25:9 Make your case with your opponent without revealing another’s secret;
Proverbs 25:10 otherwise, the one who hears will disgrace you, and you’ll never live it down.
Proverbs 25:11 A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples in silver settings.
Proverbs 25:12 A wise correction to a receptive ear is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.
Proverbs 25:13 To those who send him, a trustworthy envoy is like the coolness of snow on a harvest day; he refreshes the throat of his masters.
Proverbs 25:14 The one who boasts about a gift that does not exist is like clouds and wind without rain.
Proverbs 25:15 A ruler can be persuaded through patience, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
Proverbs 25:16 If you find honey, eat only what you need; otherwise, you’ll vomit from it.
Proverbs 25:17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house; otherwise, he’ll get sick of you and hate you.
Proverbs 25:18 A person giving false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.
Proverbs 25:19 Trusting an unreliable person in a difficult time is like a rotten tooth or a faltering foot.
Proverbs 25:20 Singing songs to a troubled heart is like taking off clothing on a cold day or pouring vinegar on soda.
Proverbs 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
Proverbs 25:22 Because you will heap burning coals on his head, Yahveh will reward you.
Proverbs 25:23 The north wind produces rain, a backbiting tongue, and angry looks.
Proverbs 25:24 Better to live on the corner of a roof than to share a house with an arguing wife.
Proverbs 25:25 Good news from a distant land is like cold water to a parched throat.
Proverbs 25:26 A righteous person who yields to the wicked is like a muddied spring or a polluted well.
Proverbs 25:27 It is not good to overeat honey or to seek glory after glory.
Proverbs 25:28 A person who does not control his temper is like a city whose wall is broken down.

balance

The balance of self-control is a theme that runs through this section of the text. A wise person knows how much is needed to obtain his goals and when to relent. Overdoing can do as much harm as doing nothing. Too much of even a good thing can become a bad thing.