Proverbs 27
1 Do not boast about tomorrow; for you do not know what a day may bring.
Do not make a noise about tomorrow, for you are not certain what a day's outcome may be.
2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
Let another man give you praise, and not your mouth; one who is strange to you, and not your lips.
3 A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
A stone has great weight, and sand is crushing; but the wrath of the foolish is of greater weight than these.
4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?
Wrath is cruel, and angry feeling an overflowing stream; but who does not give way before envy?
5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
Better is open protest than love kept secret.
6 The wounds of a friend are faithful, although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.
The wounds of a friend are given in good faith, but the kisses of a hater are false.
7 A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.
The full man has no use for honey, but to the man in need of food every bitter thing is sweet.
8 As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home.
Like a bird wandering from the place of her eggs is a man wandering from his station.
9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.
Oil and perfume make glad the heart, and the wise suggestion of a friend is sweet to the soul.
10 Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend. Do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster. A neighbor who is near is better than a distant brother.
Do not give up your friend and your father's friend; and do not go into your brother's house in the day of your trouble: better is a neighbour who is near than a brother far off.
11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.
My son, be wise and make my heart glad, so that I may give back an answer to him who puts me to shame.
12 A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
The sharp man sees the evil and takes cover: the simple go straight on and get into trouble.
13 Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!
Take a man's clothing if he makes himself responsible for a strange man, and get an undertaking from him who gives his word for strange men.
14 He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse by him.
He who gives a blessing to his friend with a loud voice, getting up early in the morning, will have it put to his account as a curse.
15 A continual dropping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike:
Like an unending dropping on a day of rain is a bitter-tongued woman.
16 restraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil in his right hand.
He who keeps secret the secret of his friend, will get himself a name for good faith.
17 Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.
Iron makes iron sharp; so a man makes sharp his friend.
18 Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after his master shall be honored.
Whoever keeps a fig-tree will have its fruit; and the servant waiting on his master will be honoured.
19 Like water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.
Like face looking at face in water, so are the hearts of men to one another.
The underworld and Abaddon are never full, and the eyes of man have never enough. (Sheol h7585)
21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise.
The heating-pot is for silver and the oven-fire for gold, and a man is measured by what he is praised for.
22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.
Even if a foolish man is crushed with a hammer in a vessel among crushed grain, still his foolish ways will not go from him.
23 Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds,
Take care to have knowledge about the condition of your flocks, looking well after your herds;
24 for riches are not forever, nor does the crown endure to all generations.
For wealth is not for ever, and money does not go on for all generations.
25 The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in.
The grass comes up and the young grass is seen, and the mountain plants are got in.
26 The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field.
The lambs are for your clothing, and the he-goats make the value of a field:
27 There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.
There will be goats' milk enough for your food, and for the support of your servant-girls.
