Proverbs 25:10–13

³⁹Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good.

²³A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

⁴The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

¹⁰The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

²⁶Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.

⁵Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.

³¹The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.

³²He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.

⁵A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

⁵Open rebuke is better than secret love.

⁶Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

⁸Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

³¹That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.

³²¶ And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:

³³And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

³⁴For in very deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.

¹¹Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.

⁸My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

⁹For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

¹²The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.

¹⁷A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.

²⁵As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

²⁵Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.

²⁶For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

²⁷For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

²⁸I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

²⁹Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:

³⁰Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.

⁶He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.