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[a]Claim no honor in the king’s presence,
    nor occupy the place of superiors;
For it is better to be told, “Come up closer!”
    than to be humbled before the prince.(A)
What your eyes have seen
    do not bring forth too quickly against an opponent;
For what will you do later on
    when your neighbor puts you to shame?

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Footnotes

  1. 25:6–7 An admonition with a practical motive for putting the teaching into practice. Pragmatic shrewdness suggests that we not promote ourselves but let others do it for us. See Lk 14:7–11.

Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
    and do not claim a place among his great men;
it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”(A)
    than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.

What you have seen with your eyes
    do not bring[a] hastily to court,
for what will you do in the end
    if your neighbor puts you to shame?(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 25:8 Or nobles / on whom you had set your eyes. / Do not go