Proverbs 27
1 Do not make a noise about tomorrow, for you are not certain what a day's outcome may be.
Make no boast for thyself of the coming day; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
2 Let another man give you praise, and not your mouth; one who is strange to you, and not your lips.
Let another man praise thee, and not thy own mouth; a stranger, and not thy own lips.
3 A stone has great weight, and sand is crushing; but the wrath of the foolish is of greater weight than these.
A stone hath heaviness, and the sand, weight; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both of them.
4 Wrath is cruel, and angry feeling an overflowing stream; but who does not give way before envy?
Fury hath its cruelty, and anger its overwhelming power; but who is able to stand before jealousy?
5 Better is open protest than love kept secret.
Better is open reproof than concealed love.
6 The wounds of a friend are given in good faith, but the kisses of a hater are false.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but deceptive are the kisses of an enemy.
7 The full man has no use for honey, but to the man in need of food every bitter thing is sweet.
The satisfied soul treadeth under foot fine honey; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a bird wandering from the place of her eggs is a man wandering from his station.
As a bird that wandereth away from her nest, so is a man that wandereth away from his place.
9 Oil and perfume make glad the heart, and the wise suggestion of a friend is sweet to the soul.
Oil and perfume cause the heart to rejoice, and so do the sweet words of a friend more than one's own counsel.
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.
Thy own friend, and thy father's friend, thou must not forsake; but into thy brother's house enter not on the day of thy calamity: better is a near neighbor than a distant brother.
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.
Become wise, my son, and cause my heart to rejoice, that I may give an answer to him that reproacheth me.
12 The sharp man sees the evil and takes cover: the simple go straight on and get into trouble.
The prudent foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
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.
Take his garment, for he became surety for a stranger; and on account of an alien woman take a pledge of him.
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.
When one saluteth his friend with a loud voice, when rising early in the morning, it will be counted a curse to him.
15 Like an unending dropping on a day of rain is a bitter-tongued woman.
A continual dropping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.
16 He who keeps secret the secret of his friend, will get himself a name for good faith.
He that would conceal her might conceal the wind, and as [fragrant] oil on his right hand, which would betray itself.
17 Iron makes iron sharp; so a man makes sharp his friend.
Iron is sharpened by iron: so doth a man sharpen himself on the countenance of his friend.
18 Whoever keeps a fig-tree will have its fruit; and the servant waiting on his master will be honoured.
Whoso guardeth the fig-tree will eat its fruit: so he that watcheth over his master will be honored.
19 Like face looking at face in water, so are the hearts of men to one another.
As the water [showeth] to the face the [reflected] face: so doth the heart of man show itself to man.
The nether world and the place of corruption are never satisfied: so are the eyes of man 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.
[As] the fining-pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: so is a man [proved] according to his praise.
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.
Though thou shouldst pound the fool in a mortar, in the midst of grains of wheat with a pestle: still would his folly not depart from him.
23 Take care to have knowledge about the condition of your flocks, looking well after your herds;
Endeavor to know well the appearance of thy flocks, direct thy attention to thy herds;
24 For wealth is not for ever, and money does not go on for all generations.
For property endureth not for ever, nor doth the crown remain for all generations.
25 The grass comes up and the young grass is seen, and the mountain plants are got in.
When the grass is past, young verdure showeth itself, and then are gathered the herbs of the mountains.
26 The lambs are for your clothing, and the he-goats make the value of a field:
The sheep are for thy clothing, and he-goats are the purchase-price of a field.
27 There will be goats' milk enough for your food, and for the support of your servant-girls.
And thou wilt have enough of goats' milk for thy food, for the food of thy household, and the support for thy maidens.
