Proverbs 25:21
New International Version
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

New Living Translation
If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.

English Standard Version
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

Berean Standard Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

King James Bible
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

New King James Version
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

New American Standard Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

NASB 1995
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

NASB 1977
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

Legacy Standard Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

Amplified Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

Christian Standard Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

American Standard Version
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
If your enemy hungers, feed him, and if he thirsts, give him drink.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink;

Contemporary English Version
If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. And if they are thirsty, give them something to drink.

Douay-Rheims Bible
If thy enemy be hungry, give him to eat: if he thirst, give him water to drink:

English Revised Version
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If your enemy is hungry, give him some food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him some water to drink.

Good News Translation
If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink.

International Standard Version
If your enemy hungers, give him food to eat; and if he thirsts, give him water to drink.

JPS Tanakh 1917
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat, And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink;

Literal Standard Version
If he who is hating you hungers, cause him to eat bread, | And if he thirsts, cause him to drink water.

Majority Standard Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

New American Bible
If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat, if thirsty, give something to drink;

NET Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

New Revised Standard Version
If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat; and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink;

New Heart English Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink,

Webster's Bible Translation
If thy enemy shall hunger, give him bread to eat; and if he shall thirst, give him water to drink:

World English Bible
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

Young's Literal Translation
If he who is hating thee doth hunger, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirst, cause him to drink water.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
More Proverbs of Solomon
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.…

Cross References
Matthew 5:44
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Romans 12:20
On the contrary, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head."

Exodus 23:4
If you encounter your enemy's stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him.

Exodus 23:5
If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it.

2 Kings 6:22
"Do not kill them," he replied. "Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and then return to their master."

2 Chronicles 28:15
Then the men who were designated by name arose, took charge of the captives, and provided from the plunder clothing for the naked. They clothed them, gave them sandals and food and drink, anointed their wounds, and put all the feeble on donkeys. So they brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms, to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.

Proverbs 25:20
Like one who removes a garment on a cold day or vinegar poured on a wound is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.


Treasury of Scripture

If your enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

Proverbs 24:17
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

Exodus 23:4,5
If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again…

Matthew 5:44
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

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Bread Cause Drink Eat Enemy Food Hater Hating Hunger Hungry Need Thirst Thirsty Water
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Proverbs 25
1. observations about kings
8. and about avoiding causes of quarrels














Verses 21, 22. - This famous tetrastrich is reproduced (with the exception of the fourth line) from the Septuagint by St. Paul (Romans 12:20). Verse 21. - The traditional hatred of enemies is here strongly repudiated (see Proverbs 24:17, 18, and notes there). Thus Elisha treated the Syrians, introduced blindly into the midst of Samaria, ordering the King of Israel to set bread and water before them, and to send them away unharmed (2 Kings 6:22). "Punish your enemy by benefiting him," say the Arabs, though they are far from practising the injunction; "Sweet words break the bones;" "Bread and salt humble even a robber," say the Russians.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

your enemy
שֹׂ֭נַאֲךָ (na·’ă·ḵā)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 8130: To hate

is hungry,
רָעֵ֣ב (rā·‘êḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7456: To be hungry

give him food
לָ֑חֶם (lā·ḥem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

to eat,
הַאֲכִלֵ֣הוּ (ha·’ă·ḵi·lê·hū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

and if
וְאִם־ (wə·’im-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

he is thirsty,
צָ֝מֵ֗א (ṣā·mê)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6771: Thirsty

give him water
מָֽיִם׃ (mā·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

to drink.
הַשְׁקֵ֥הוּ (haš·qê·hū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8248: To quaff, to irrigate, furnish a, potion to


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 25:21 If your enemy is hungry give him (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 25:20
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