One Year Bible.

More Proverbs of Solomon

¹These are additional proverbs of Solomon, which were copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:

²It is the glory of God to conceal a matter

and the glory of kings to search it out.

³As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,

so the hearts of kings cannot be searched.

⁴Remove the dross from the silver,

and a vessel for a silversmith will come forth.

⁵Remove the wicked from the king’s presence,

and his throne will be established in righteousness.

⁶Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,

and do not stand in the place of great men;

⁷for it is better to be told, “Come up here!”

than to be demoted in the presence of the prince.

Even what you have seen with your own eyes,

⁸do not bring hastily to court.

Otherwise, what will you do in the end

when your neighbor puts you to shame?

⁹Argue your case with your neighbor

without betraying another’s confidence,

¹⁰lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,

and your infamy never go away.

¹¹A word fitly spoken

is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

¹²Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold

is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.

¹³Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest

is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him;

he refreshes the soul of his masters.

¹⁴Like clouds and wind without rain

is the man who boasts of gifts never given.

¹⁵Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,

and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

¹⁶If you find honey, eat just what you need,

lest you have too much and vomit it up.

¹⁷Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house,

lest he grow weary and hate you.

¹⁸Like a club or sword or sharp arrow

is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.

¹⁹Like a broken tooth or a foot out of joint

is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble.

²⁰Like one who removes a garment on a cold day

or vinegar poured on a wound

is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat,

and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

²²For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head,

and the LORD will reward you.

²³As the north wind brings forth rain,

so a backbiting tongue brings angry looks.

²⁴Better to live on a corner of the roof

than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

²⁵Like cold water to a weary soul

is good news from a distant land.

²⁶Like a muddied spring or a polluted well

is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.

²⁷It is not good to eat too much honey

or to search out one’s own glory.

²⁸Like a city whose walls are broken down

is a man who does not control his temper.

Similitudes and Instructions

¹Like snow in summer and rain at harvest,

honor does not befit a fool.

²Like a fluttering sparrow or darting swallow,

an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

³A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

and a rod for the backs of fools!

⁴Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

or you yourself will be like him.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly,

lest he become wise in his own eyes.

⁶Like cutting off one’s own feet or drinking violence

is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.

⁷Like lame legs hanging limp

is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

⁸Like binding a stone into a sling

is the giving of honor to a fool.

⁹Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard

is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

¹⁰Like an archer who wounds at random

is he who hires a fool or passerby.

¹¹As a dog returns to its vomit,

so a fool repeats his folly.

¹²Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³The slacker says, “A lion is in the road!

A fierce lion roams the public square!”

¹⁴As a door turns on its hinges,

so the slacker turns on his bed.

¹⁵The slacker buries his hand in the dish;

it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

¹⁶The slacker is wiser in his own eyes

than seven men who answer discreetly.

¹⁷Like one who grabs a dog by the ears

is a passerby who meddles in a quarrel not his own.

¹⁸Like a madman shooting firebrands

and deadly arrows,

¹⁹so is the man who deceives his neighbor

and says, “I was only joking!”

²⁰Without wood, a fire goes out;

without gossip, a conflict ceases.

²¹Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire,

so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

²²The words of a gossip are like choice morsels

that go down into the inmost being.

²³Like glaze covering an earthen vessel

are burning lips and a wicked heart.

²⁴A hateful man disguises himself with his speech,

but he lays up deceit in his heart.

²⁵When he speaks graciously, do not believe him,

for seven abominations fill his heart.

²⁶Though his hatred is concealed by deception,

his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

²⁷He who digs a pit will fall into it,

and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those it crushes,

and a flattering mouth causes ruin.

The Perfect High Priest

¹Every high priest is appointed from among men to represent them in matters relating to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. ²He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and misguided, since he himself is subject to weakness. ³That is why he is obligated to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.

⁴No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. ⁵So also Christ did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest, but He was called by the One who said to Him:

“You are My Son;

today I have become Your Father.”

⁶And in another passage God says:

“You are a priest forever

in the order of Melchizedek.”

⁷During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. ⁸Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered. ⁹And having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him ¹⁰and was designated by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Milk and Solid Food

¹¹We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing. ¹²Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food!

¹³For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. ¹⁴But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.

A Call to Maturity

¹Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God, ²instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. ³And this we will do, if God permits.

⁴It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age — ⁶and then have fallen away — to be restored to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame.

⁷For land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is tended receives the blessing of God. ⁸But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless, and its curse is imminent. In the end it will be burned.

⁹Even though we speak like this, beloved, we are convinced of better things in your case— things that accompany salvation. ¹⁰For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.

¹¹We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. ¹²Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

God’s Unchangeable Promise

¹³When God made His promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself, ¹⁴saying, “I will surely bless you and multiply your descendants.” ¹⁵And so Abraham, after waiting patiently, obtained the promise.

¹⁶Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument. ¹⁷So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath. ¹⁸Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.

¹⁹We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, ²⁰where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.