1) And these are the parables of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah collected.
2) The glory of God is to shroud a matter in mystery, and the glory of kings is to investigate a matter.
3) As the sky is high and the earth is deep, so the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4) Separate the impurity from the silver, and the silversmith will come out with a vessel:
5) remove the unrighteous from the king, and his throne will be established with righteousness.
6) Do not magnify yourself before the king, and do not stand in the place of the great;
7) because it is better when they say to you: “Come here higher,” than when they lower you before the noble whom your eyes have seen.
8) Do not hastily enter into litigation: otherwise, what will you do at the end, when your opponent disgraces you?
9) Conduct litigation with your opponent, but do not reveal the secrets of another,
10 Lest he who hears this reproach you, and then your dishonor does not depart from you. [Love and friendship liberate: save them for yourself, so as not to become worthy of reproach; keep your ways well ordered.]
11) Golden apples in silver transparent vessels - a word spoken decently.
12) A gold earring and jewelry made of pure gold are a wise accuser to the attentive ear.
13) Like the coolness of snow during the harvest, it is a faithful ambassador for the one who sends it: it brings joy to the soul of his master.
14) Like clouds and winds without rain, so is a man who boasts of false gifts.
15) By meekness a nobleman bows to mercy, and a soft tongue breaks a bone.
16) You have found honey, eat as much as you need, so as not to get fed up with it and vomit it.
17) Do not enter your friend’s house more often, so that he does not become bored with you and hate you.
18) Like a hammer and a sword and a sharp arrow, so is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.
19) Like a broken tooth and a weakened leg, so is the hope of an unreliable [person] in the day of disaster.
20) Like someone who takes off his clothes on a cold day, like vinegar on a wound, he sings songs to a sad heart. [Like a moth to clothing and a worm to a tree, so sadness harms a person’s heart.]
21) If your enemy is hungry, feed him with bread; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink:
22) For [by doing this] you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
23) The north wind produces rain, and the secret tongue produces dissatisfied faces.
24) It is better to live in a corner on the roof than with a grumpy wife in a spacious house.
25) Like cold water for a thirsty soul, so is good news from a distant land.
26) Like a troubled fountain and a damaged spring, so is the righteous who falls before the wicked.
27) Just as it is not good to eat a lot of honey, so seeking glory is not glory.
28) Like a destroyed city without walls, so is a man who does not control his spirit.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru