Proverbs 27
1 Boast not of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what the next day shall bring forth.
Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring.
2 Let thy neighbour, and not thine own mouth, praise thee; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
3 A stone is heavy, and sand cumbersome; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both.
A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
4 Wrath is merciless, and anger sharp: but envy can bear nothing.
Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?
5 Open reproofs are better than secret love.
Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
6 The wounds of a friend are more to be trusted than the spontaneous kisses of an enemy.
The wounds of a friend are faithful, although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.
7 A full soul scorns honeycombs; but to a hungry soul even bitter things appear sweet.
A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.
8 As when a bird flies down from its own nest, so a man is brought into bondage whenever he estranges himself from his own place.
As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home.
9 The heart delights in ointments and wines and perfumes: but the soul is broken by calamities.
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.
10 Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; and when thou art in distress go not into thy brother's house: better is a friend [that is] near than a brother living far off.
Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend. Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster. A neighbor who is near is better than a distant brother.
11 Son, be wise, that thy heart may rejoice; and remove thou from thyself reproachful words.
Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.
12 A wise man, when evils are approaching, hides himself; but fools pass on, and will be punished.
A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
13 Take away the man's garment, (for a scorner has passed by) whoever lays waste another's goods.
Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!
14 Whosoever shall bless a friend in the morning with a loud voice, shall seem to differ nothing from one who curses [him].
He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse by him.
15 On a stormy day drops [of rain] drive a man out of his house; so also does a railing woman [drive a man] out of his own house.
A continual dropping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike:
16 The north wind is sharp, but it is called by name propitious.
restraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil in his right hand.
17 Iron sharpens iron; and a man sharpens his friend's countenance.
Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.
18 He that plants a fig-tree shall eat the fruits of it: so he that waits on his own master shall be honoured.
Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after his master shall be honored.
19 As faces are not like [other] faces, so neither are the thoughts of men.
Like water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.
20 Hell and destruction are not filled; so also are the eyes of men insatiable. [He that fixes his eye is an abomination to the Lord; and the uninstructed do not restrain their tongue.] (Sheol h7585)
Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man’s eyes are never satisfied. (Sheol h7585)
21 Fire is the trial for silver and gold; and a man is tried by the mouth of them that praise him. The heart of the transgressor seeks after mischiefs; but an upright heart seeks knowledge.
The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise.
22 Though thou scourge a fool, disgracing him in the midst of the council, thou wilt [still] in no wise remove his folly from him.
Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.
23 Do thou thoroughly know the number of thy flock, and pay attention to thine herds.
Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds,
24 For a man [has] not strength and power for ever; neither does he transmit it from generation to generation.
for riches are not forever, nor does the crown endure to all generations.
25 Take care of the herbage in the field, and thou shalt cut grass, and gather the mountain hay;
The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in.
26 that thou mayest have [wool of] sheep for clothing: pay attention to the land, that thou mayest have lambs.
The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field.
27 [My] son, thou hast from me words very useful for thy life, and for the life of thy servants.
There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.
