< Proverbs 27 >

1 Boast not of to-morrow; for you know not what the next day shall bring forth.
Do not make a noise about tomorrow, for you are not certain what a day's outcome may be.
2 Let your neighbour, and not your own mouth, praise you; 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 cumbersome; but a fool's wrath 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 merciless, and anger sharp: but envy can bear nothing.
Wrath is cruel, and angry feeling an overflowing stream; but who does not give way before envy?
5 Open reproofs are better than secret love.
Better is open protest than love kept secret.
6 The wounds of a friend are more to be trusted than the spontaneous kisses of an enemy.
The wounds of a friend are given in good faith, but the kisses of a hater are false.
7 A full soul scorns honeycombs; but to a hungry soul even bitter things appear sweet.
The full man has no use for honey, but to the man in need of food 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.
Like a bird wandering from the place of her eggs is a man wandering from his station.
9 The heart delights in ointments and wines and perfumes: but the soul is broken by calamities.
Oil and perfume make glad the heart, and the wise suggestion of a friend is sweet to the soul.
10 Your own friend, and your father's friend, forsake not; and when you are in distress go not into your brother's house: better is a friend [that is] near than a brother living far off.
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 Son, be wise, that your heart may rejoice; and remove you from yourself reproachful words.
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 wise man, when evils are approaching, hides himself; but fools pass on, and will be punished.
The sharp man sees the evil and takes cover: the simple go straight on and get into trouble.
13 Take away the man's garment, (for a scorner has passed by) whoever lays waste another's goods.
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 Whosoever shall bless a friend in the morning with a loud voice, shall seem to differ nothing from one who curses [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 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.
Like an unending dropping on a day of rain is a bitter-tongued woman.
16 The north wind is sharp, but it is called by name propitious.
He who keeps secret the secret of his friend, will get himself a name for good faith.
17 Iron sharpens iron; and a man sharpens his friend's countenance.
Iron makes iron sharp; so a man makes sharp his friend.
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 keeps a fig-tree will have its fruit; and the servant waiting on his master will be honoured.
19 As faces are not like [other] faces, so neither are the thoughts of men.
Like face looking at face in water, so are the hearts of men to one another.
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)
The underworld and Abaddon are never full, and the eyes of man have never enough. (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 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 scourge a fool, disgracing him in the midst of the council, you will [still] in no wise remove his folly 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 Do you thoroughly know the number of your flock, and pay attention to your herds.
Take care to have knowledge about the condition of your flocks, looking well after your herds;
24 For a man [has] not strength and power for ever; neither does he transmit it from generation to generation.
For wealth is not for ever, and money does not go on for all generations.
25 Take care of the herbage in the field, and you shall cut grass, and gather the mountain hay;
The grass comes up and the young grass is seen, and the mountain plants are got in.
26 that you may have [wool of] sheep for clothing: pay attention to the land, that you may have lambs.
The lambs are for your clothing, and the he-goats make the value of a field:
27 [My] son, you have from me words very useful for your life, and for the life of your servants.
There will be goats' milk enough for your food, and for the support of your servant-girls.

< Proverbs 27 >