King James Version

Proverbs 25:21

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

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Hebrew

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אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…רָעֵ֣בraevhungryרָעֵבadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “hungry”, the ordinary formH7457hungry (more or less intensely)hunger bitten, hungry.שֹׂ֭נַאֲךָsonaakhahateשָׂנֵאverb, qal, participle, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “hate”, a verb used as a describing wordH8130to hate (personally)enemy, foe, (be) hate(-ful, -r), odious, [idiom] utterly.הַאֲכִלֵ֣הוּhaakhilehveatאָכַלverb, hiphil, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “eat”, a commandH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.לָ֑חֶםlachembreadלֶחֶםnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “bread”, the ordinary formH3899food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it)(shew-) bread, [idiom] eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals.וְאִםveimand oh thatאִםconjunction, conjunction — “and oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…צָ֝מֵ֗אtsamethirstצָמֵאadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “thirst”, the ordinary formH6771thirsty (literally or figuratively)(that) thirst(-eth, -y).הַשְׁקֵ֥הוּhashqehvcause to drinkשָׁקָהverb, hiphil, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “cause to drink”, a commandH8248to quaff, i.e. (causatively) to irrigate or furnish apotion tocause to (give, give to, let, make to) drink, drown, moisten, water. See H7937 (שָׁכַר), H8354 (שָׁתָה).מָֽיִםmayimwaterמַיִםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “water”, the ordinary formH4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen[phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he be 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.

World English Bible

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

Darby Translation

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

Douay-Rheims

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

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

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

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

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

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, ψώμιζε αὐτὸν, ἐὰν διψᾷ, πότιζε αὐτόν·

Quoted in

Romans 12:20 Romans 12:20 · King James VersionTherefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.Romans 12:20 · King James VersionOpen the Source
for it is written
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.