Proverbs 27
1 Boast not of to-morrow; for you know not what the next day shall bring forth.
BOAST not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
2 Let your neighbour, and not your own mouth, praise you; a stranger, and not your own lips.
Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
3 A stone is heavy, and sand cumbersome; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both.
A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both.
4 Wrath is merciless, and anger sharp: but envy can bear nothing.
Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?
5 Open reproofs are better than secret love.
Open rebuke is better than secret love.
6 The wounds of a friend are more to be trusted than the spontaneous kisses of an enemy.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
7 A full soul scorns honeycombs; but to a hungry soul even bitter things appear sweet.
The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the 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 wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.
9 The heart delights in ointments and wines and perfumes: but the soul is broken by calamities.
Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.
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.
Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that 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, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.
12 A wise man, when evils are approaching, hides himself; but fools pass on, and will be punished.
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
13 Take away the man's garment, (for a scorner has passed by) whoever lays waste another's goods.
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange 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 that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to 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 in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.
16 The north wind is sharp, but it is called by name propitious.
Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.
17 Iron sharpens iron; and a man sharpens his friend's countenance.
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of 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.
Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
19 As faces are not like [other] faces, so neither are the thoughts of men.
As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to 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)
Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man 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.
As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.
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.
Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
23 Do you thoroughly know the number of your flock, and pay attention to your herds.
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy 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 for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?
25 Take care of the herbage in the field, and you shall cut grass, and gather the mountain hay;
The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.
26 that you may have [wool of] sheep for clothing: pay attention to the land, that you may have lambs.
The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.
27 [My] son, you have from me words very useful for your life, and for the life of your servants.
And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.
