Proverbs 27
1 Do not make a noise about tomorrow, for you are not certain what a day's outcome may be.
Don't boast about what you're going to do tomorrow, because you don't know what the day may bring.
2 Let another man give you praise, and not your mouth; one who is strange to you, and not your lips.
Let others praise you, not you yourself; someone else, not you personally.
3 A stone has great weight, and sand is crushing; but the wrath of the foolish is of greater weight than these.
Stone may be heavy, and sand may weigh a lot, but the annoyance caused by stupid people is the biggest burden of all.
4 Wrath is cruel, and angry feeling an overflowing stream; but who does not give way before envy?
Fury may be fierce and cruel, anger may be a destructive flood, but who can withstand jealousy?
5 Better is open protest than love kept secret.
Open criticism is better than hidden love.
6 The wounds of a friend are given in good faith, but the kisses of a hater are false.
A friend's honest comments may hurt you, but an enemy's kisses are over the top.
7 The full man has no use for honey, but to the man in need of food every bitter thing is sweet.
If you're full up, you can't face honey; but if you're starving, even bitter food tastes sweet.
8 Like a bird wandering from the place of her eggs is a man wandering from his station.
Having to leave home is like a bird having to leave its nest.
9 Oil and perfume make glad the heart, and the wise suggestion of a friend is sweet to the soul.
Perfume and scented oils make you feel happy, but good advice from a friend is even better.
10 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.
Don't give up on your friends or your family's friends. Don't go to a relative's house when you've got trouble. A friend nearby is more useful than a relative far away.
11 My son, be wise and make my heart glad, so that I may give back an answer to him who puts me to shame.
My son, make me happy by being wise, so I can respond to anyone who criticizes me.
12 The sharp man sees the evil and takes cover: the simple go straight on and get into trouble.
If you're sensible you see danger coming and get out of the way; but stupid people just keep going and suffer the consequences.
13 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.
If someone guarantees a stranger's debt with their cloak, be sure to take it! Make sure you have whatever is pledged to an immoral woman!
14 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.
If when you get up every morning you shout a loud hello to your neighbors, they will see that as a curse!
15 Like an unending dropping on a day of rain is a bitter-tongued woman.
An argumentative wife is as irritating as constant dripping on a rainy day.
16 He who keeps secret the secret of his friend, will get himself a name for good faith.
Trying to stop her is like trying to make the wind stop or trying to hold olive oil in your hand.
17 Iron makes iron sharp; so a man makes sharp his friend.
An iron blade is sharpened with an iron tool, and one person's mind is sharpened by another's.
18 Whoever keeps a fig-tree will have its fruit; and the servant waiting on his master will be honoured.
Those who care for a fig tree eat its fruit, and those who care for their master are rewarded.
19 Like face looking at face in water, so are the hearts of men to one another.
Just as water reflects your face, your mind reflects who you really are.
In the same way that the grave and destruction are never satisfied, human desire is never satisfied. (Sheol h7585)
21 The heating-pot is for silver and the oven-fire for gold, and a man is measured by what he is praised for.
Just as a crucible tests silver, and a furnace tests gold, people are tested by the praise they receive.
22 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.
Even if you ground stupid people in a mortar, crushing them like grain with the pestle, you can't get rid of stupidity from them.
23 Take care to have knowledge about the condition of your flocks, looking well after your herds;
You should know the condition of your flocks really well and take good care of your herds,
24 For wealth is not for ever, and money does not go on for all generations.
for wealth doesn't last forever—is a crown passed down through all generations?
25 The grass comes up and the young grass is seen, and the mountain plants are got in.
Once the hay is cut, and the new growth begins, and fodder from the mountains is gathered,
26 The lambs are for your clothing, and the he-goats make the value of a field:
and the lambs have provided you wool to make clothing, and the sale of goats have paid for a field,
27 There will be goats' milk enough for your food, and for the support of your servant-girls.
there'll be enough milk from your goats to feed you, your family, and your servant girls.
