Proverbs 27
1 Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day brings forth.
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth, A stranger, and not your own lips.
Let another praise you, and not your own mouth— a stranger, and not your own lips.
3 A stone [is] heavy, and the sand [is] heavy, And the anger of a fool Is heavier than them both.
A stone is heavy and sand is a burden, but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.
4 Fury [is] fierce, and anger [is] overflowing, And who stands before jealousy?
Wrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?
5 Better [is] open reproof than hidden love.
Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed.
6 The wounds of a lover are faithful, And the kisses of an enemy [are] abundant.
The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
7 A satiated soul treads down a honeycomb, And every bitter thing [is] sweet [to] a hungry soul.
The soul that is full loathes honey, but to a hungry soul, any bitter thing is sweet.
8 As a bird wandering from her nest, So [is] a man wandering from his place.
Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who wanders from his home.
9 Perfume and incense make the heart glad, And the sweetness of one’s friend—from counsel of the soul.
Oil and incense bring joy to the heart, and the sweetness of a friend is counsel to the soul.
10 Do not forsake your own friend and the friend of your father, And do not enter the house of your brother in a day of your calamity, A near neighbor [is] better than a brother far off.
Do not forsake your friend or your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.
11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, And I return a word [to] my reproacher.
Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, so that I can answer him who taunts me.
12 The prudent has seen the evil, he is hidden, The simple have passed on, they are punished.
The prudent see danger and take cover; but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
13 Take his garment when a stranger has been guarantor, And pledge it for a strange woman.
Take the garment of him who posts security for a stranger; get collateral if it is for a foreigner.
14 Whoever is greeting his friend with a loud voice, Rising early in the morning, It is reckoned a light thing to him.
If one blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be counted to him as a curse.
15 A continual dropping in a day of rain, And a woman of contentions are alike,
A constant dripping on a rainy day and a contentious woman are alike—
16 Whoever is hiding her has hidden the wind, And the ointment of his right hand calls out.
restraining her is like holding back the wind or grasping oil with one’s right hand.
17 Iron is sharpened by iron, And a man sharpens the face of his friend.
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
18 The keeper of a fig tree eats its fruit, And the preserver of his master is honored.
Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored.
19 As [in] water the face [is] to face, So the heart of man to man.
As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the true man.
Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. (Sheol h7585)
21 A refining pot [is] for silver, and a furnace for gold, And a man according to his praise.
A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but a man is tested by the praise accorded him.
22 If you beat the foolish in a mortar, Among washed things—with a pestle, His folly does not turn aside from off him.
Though you grind a fool like grain with mortar and a pestle, yet his folly will not depart from him.
23 Know the face of your flock well, Set your heart to the droves,
Be sure to know the state of your flocks, and pay close attention to your herds;
24 For riches [are] not for all time, Nor a crown to generation and generation.
for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to every generation.
25 The hay was revealed, and the tender grass seen, And the herbs of mountains gathered.
When hay is removed and new growth appears and the grain from the hills is gathered,
26 Lambs [are] for your clothing, And the price of the field [are] male goats,
the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field.
27 And a sufficiency of goats’ milk [is] for your bread, For bread to your house, and life to your girls!
You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed you— food for your household and nourishment for your maidservants.
