Passage

Proverbs 25.21-22

Book: Proverbs · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"19. Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble Is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint. 20. As one that taketh off a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon soda, So is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart."

"21. If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: 22. For thou wilt heap coals of fire upon his head, And Jehovah will reward thee."

"23. The north wind bringeth forth rain: So doth a backbiting tongue an angry countenance. 24. It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, Than with a contentious woman in a wide house." (Proverbs 25:19-24, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"19. Confidence in someone unfaithful in time of trouble is like a bad tooth, or a lame foot. 20. As one who takes away a garment in cold weather, or vinegar on soda, so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart."

"21. If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink: 22. for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and Yahweh will reward you."

"23. The north wind produces rain; so a backbiting tongue brings an angry face. 24. It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than to share a house with a contentious woman." (Proverbs 25:19-24, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"19. Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint. 20. As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart."

"21. If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: 22. For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee."

"23. The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. ^{driveth: or, bringeth forth rain: so doth a backbiting tongue an angry countenance} 24. It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house." (Proverbs 25:19-24, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"19. A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, [Is] the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity. 20. Whoso is taking away a garment in a cold day, [Is as] vinegar on nitre, And a singer of songs on a sad heart."

"21. If he who is hating thee doth hunger, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirst, cause him to drink water. 22. For coals thou art putting on his head, And Jehovah giveth recompense to thee."

"23. A north wind bringeth forth rain, And a secret tongue, indignant faces. 24. Better to sit on a corner of a roof, Than [with] a woman of contentions, and a house of company." (Proverbs 25:19-24, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: TBD
Audience: TBD
Location: TBD
Time period: TBD

Theological reading

Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

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Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.