Proverbs 25:13–16

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

¹⁷A wicked messenger falleth into mischiefe: but a faithfull ambassadour is health.

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

²⁵ As cold waters to a thirstie soule: so is good newes from a farre countrey.

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.

²⁵Yet I supposed it necessary, to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and companion in labour, and fellow souldiour, but your messenger, and hee that ministred to my wants.

²⁶For hee longed after you all, and was full of heauinesse, because that yee had heard that he had bene sicke.

²⁷For indeed he was sicke nigh vnto death, but God had mercy on him: and not on him onely, but on mee also, lest I should haue sorow vpon sorow.

²⁸I sent him therefore the more carefully, that when ye see him againe, ye may reioyce, and that I may bee the lesse sorrowfull.

²⁹Receiue him therfore in the Lord with all gladnesse, and ^‖hold such in reputation:

³⁰Because for the worke of Christ he was nigh vnto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lacke of seruice toward me.

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

^6‖He that sendeth a message by the hand of a foole, cutteth off the feete, and drinketh dammage.

⁶Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

^6‖Most men will proclaime euery one his owne goodnes: but a faithfull man who can finde?

¹¹For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

^11*For whosoeuer exalteth himselfe, shalbe abased: and hee that humbleth himselfe, shalbe exalted.

¹⁵Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

¹⁶But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

¹⁷These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

¹⁸For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

¹⁹While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

¹⁵Which haue forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the sonne of Bosor, who loued the wages of vnrighteousnesse,

¹⁶But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumbe asse speaking with mais voice, forbade the madnesse of the Prophet.

¹⁷These are welles without water, cloudes that are caried with a tempest, to whom the mist of darkenesse is reserued for euer.

¹⁸For when they speake great svelling words of vanitie, they alure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonnesse, those that were ^‖cleane escaped from them who liue in errour.

¹⁹While they promise them libertie, they themselues are the seruants of corruption: for of whom a man is ouercome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

¹⁶These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

¹⁶These are murmurers complainers, walking after their owne lustes, and their mouth speaketh great swelling wordes, hauing mens persons in admiration because of aduantage.

¹¹And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.

¹¹And Zedekiah the sonne of Chenaanah made him hornes of yron: and he sayd, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, vntill thou haue consumed them.

¹³For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

¹⁴And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

¹⁵Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

¹⁶I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.

¹⁷That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

¹⁸Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

¹³For such are false Apostles, deceitfull workers, transforming themselues into the Apostles of Christ.

¹⁴And no marueile, for Sathan himselfe is transformed into an Angel of light.

¹⁵Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also bee transformed as the ministers of righteousnesse, whose end shall be according to their workes.

¹⁶I say againe, Let no man thinke mee a foole; if otherwise, yet as a foole ^‖receiue me, that I may boast my selfe a little.

¹⁷That which I speake, I speake it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly in this confidence of boasting.

¹⁸Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

³¹The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

³¹The God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, which is blessed for euermore, knoweth that I lie not.

¹²These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

¹³Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

¹²These are spottes in your feasts of charitie, when they feast with you, feeding themselues without feare: cloudes they are without water, caried about of winds, trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twise dead, plucked vp by the rootes.

¹³Raging waues of the sea, foming out their owne shame, wandring stars, to whom is reserued the blacknesse of darkenesse for euer.

¹⁰Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

¹²I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

¹³And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

¹⁰Two men went vp into the Temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a Publicane.

¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himselfe, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, vniust, adulterers, or euen as this Publicane.

¹²I fast twise in the weeke, I giue tithes of all that I possesse.

¹³And the Publicane standing afarre off, would not lift vp so much as his eyes vnto heauen: but smote vpon his breast, saying, God me mercifull to mee a sinner.

¹⁴I tell you, this man went downe to his house iustified rather then the other: ^*For euery one that exalteth himselfe, shall be abased: and hee that humbleth himselfe, shall be exalted.

¹A SOFT answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

¹¶ ^*A soft answere turneth away wrath: but grieuous words stirre vp anger.

⁴If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.

⁴If the spirit of the ruler rise vp against thee, leaue not thy place; for yeelding pacifieth great offences.

¹⁴The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.

¹⁴The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacifie it.

¹⁴¶ But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.

¹⁴¶ But one of the yong men told Abigail Nabals wife, saying, Behold, Dauid sent messengers out of the wildernesse to salute our master: and ^†he railed on them.

²⁴And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.

²⁵Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

²⁶Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

²⁷And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.

²⁸I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.

²⁹Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.

³⁰And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel;

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.

³⁵So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.

³⁶¶ And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

³⁷But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

³⁸And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.

³⁹¶ And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

⁴⁰And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife.

⁴¹And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.

⁴²And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.

⁴³David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.

⁴⁴¶ But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.

²⁴And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, vpon me let this iniquitie be, and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speake in thine ^†audience, and heare the words of thine handmaid.

²⁵Let not my lord, I pray thee, ^†regard this man of Belial, euen Nabal: for as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: But I thine handmaid saw not the yong men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

²⁶Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liueth, and as thy soule liueth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from comming to shed blood, and from ^†auenging thy selfe with thine owne hand: now let thine enemies and they that secke euill to my lord, bee as Nabal.

²⁷And now this ^‖blessing which thine handmaid hath brought vnto my lord, let it euen be giuen vnto the yong men that ^†follow my lord.

²⁸I pray thee, forgiue the trespasse of thine handmaide: for the LORD will certainely make my lord a sure house, because my lord fighteth the battels of the LORD, and euill hath not bene found in thee all thy dayes.

²⁹Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seeke thy soule: but the soule of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God, and the soules of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, ^† as out of the middle of a sling.

³⁰And it shall come to passe when the LORD shal haue done to my lord, according to all the good that hee hath spoken concerning thee, and shall haue appointed thee ruler ouer Israel;

³¹That this shall bee no ^†griefe vnto thee, nor offence of heart vnto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causelesse, or that my lord hath auenged himselfe: But when the LORD shall haue dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmayd.

³²¶ And Dauid sayd to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me.

³³And blessed bee thy aduice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from comming to shed blood, and from auenging my selfe with mine owne hand.

³⁴For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liueth, which hath kept mee backe from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not bene left vnto Nabal, by the morning light, any that pisseth against the wall.

³⁵So Dauid receiued of her hand that which shee had brought him, and sayd vnto her, Goe vp in peace to thine house; See, I haue hearkened to thy voyce, and haue accepted thy person.

³⁶¶ And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king; & Nabals heart was merry within him, for hee was very drunken: wherefore shee tolde him nothing, lesse or more, vntill the morning light.

³⁷But it came to passe in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

³⁸And it came to passe about ten dayes after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.

³⁹¶ And when Dauid heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproch from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his seruant from euil: for the LORD hath returned the wickednesse of Nabal vpon his owne head. And Dauid sent, and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

⁴⁰And when the seruants of Dauid were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake vnto her, saying, Dauid sent vs vnto thee, to take thee to him to wife.

⁴¹And shee arose, and bowed her selfe on her face to the earth, and sayd, Beholde, let thine handmayd bee a seruant to wash the feet of the seruants of my lord.

⁴²And Abigail hasted, and rose, and rode vpon an asse, with fiue damosels of hers that went ^†after her; and she went after the messengers of Dauid, and became his wife.

⁴³Dauid also tooke Ahinoam ^*of Iezreel, and they were also both of them his wiues.

⁴⁴¶ But Saul had giuen ^*Michal his daughter, Dauids wife, to Phalti the sonne of Laish, which was of Gallim.

⁴And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:

⁵And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

⁶¶ And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

⁷Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;

⁸And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

⁹¶ And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:

¹⁰I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.

¹¹Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.

¹²And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

¹³¶ And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;

¹⁴Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,

¹⁵Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.

¹⁶And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.

¹⁷And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?

¹⁸Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.

¹⁹And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.

²⁰And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.

²¹So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.

⁴And he commaunded them, saying, Thus shall ye speake vnto my LORD Esau, Thy seruant Iacob saith thus, I haue soiourned with Laban, and stayed there vntill now.

⁵And I haue oxen, and asses, flockes, and men seruants and women seruants: and I haue sent to tell my LORD, that I may find grace in thy sight.

⁶¶ And the messengers returned to Iacob, saying, Wee came to thy brother Esau, and also he commeth to meet thee, and foure hundred men with him.

⁷Then Iacob was greatly afraid, and distressed, and he diuided the people that was with him, and the flockes, and herdes, and the camels into two bands,

⁸And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left, shall escape.

⁹¶ And Iacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst vnto me, ^*Returne vnto thy countrey, and to thy kinred, and I will deale well with thee:

^10†I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the trueth, which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant: for with my staffe I passed ouer this Iordan, and now I am become two bands.

¹¹Deliuer me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I feare him, lest he will come, and smite me, and the mother ^†with the children.

¹²And thou saidst, I will surely doe thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbred for multitude.

¹³¶ And he lodged there that same night, and tooke of that which came to his hand, a present for Esau his brother:

¹⁴Two hundred shee goats, and twentie hee goats, two hundred ewes, and twentie rammes,

¹⁵Thirtie milch camels with their colts, fortie kine, and ten bulles, twenty shee ashes, and ten foales.

¹⁶And hee deliuered them into the hand of his seruants, euery droue by themselues, and said vnto his seruants, Passe ouer before me, and put a space betwixt droue and droue.

¹⁷And he commanded the formost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?

¹⁸Then thou shalt say, They be thy seruant Iacobs: it is a present sent vnto my LORD Esau: and behold also, he is behind vs.

¹⁹And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droues, saying, On this maner shal you speake vnto Esau, when you find him.

²⁰And say ye moreouer, Beholde, thy seruant Iacob is behind vs: for he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peraduenture he will accept ^†of me.

²¹So went the present ouer before him: and himselfe lodged that night in the company.

²⁷It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.

²⁷ It is not good to eat much hony: so for men to search their owne glory, is not glory.

¹⁸And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

¹⁸And bee not drunke with wine, wherein is excesse: but bee filled with the Spirit:

¹³My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

¹⁴So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

^13*†My sonne, eate thou honie, because it is good, and the honie combe, which is sweete to thy taste.

^14*So shall the knowledge of wisedome be vnto thy soule: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

²⁵And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground.

²⁶And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath.

²⁷But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.

²⁵And all they of the land came to a wood, and there was honie vpon the ground.

²⁶And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honie dropped, but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath.

²⁷But Ionathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath; wherefore he put foorth the ende of the rodde that was in his hand, and dipt it in an hony combe, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened.

¹⁵Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

¹⁵Butter and hony shall he eat, that hee may know to refuse the euill, and choose the good.

⁸¶ And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.

⁹And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.

⁸¶ And after a time hee returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carkeis of the Lion: and beholde, there was a swarme of Bees, and honie in the carkeis of the Lion.

⁹And hee tooke thereof in his handes, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and hee gaue them, and they did eate: but he told not them that he had taken the hony out of the carkeis of the Lion.

³⁴¶ And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

³⁴¶ And take heed to your selues, least at any time your hearts be ouercharged with surfetting, and drunkennesse, and cares of this life, and so that day come vpon you vnawares.

²²And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.

^22†And it shall come to passe, for the abundance of milke that they shall giue, he shal eate butter: for butter and hony shall euery one eate, that is left in the land.

⁸The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

⁸The morsell which thou hast eaten, shalt thou vomite vp, and loose thy sweete words.