< Proverbs 27 >
1 Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day brings forth.
Boast not thyself of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth, 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 the sand [is] heavy, And the anger of a fool Is heavier than them both.
A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's vexation is heavier than they both.
4 Fury [is] fierce, and anger [is] overflowing, And who stands before jealousy?
Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?
5 Better [is] open reproof than hidden love.
Better is open rebuke than love that is hidden.
6 The wounds of a lover are faithful, And the kisses of an enemy [are] abundant.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are importunate.
7 A satiated soul treads down a honeycomb, And every bitter thing [is] sweet [to] a hungry soul.
The full soul loatheth a honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
8 As a bird wandering from her nest, So [is] a man wandering from his place.
As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.
9 Perfume and incense make the heart glad, And the sweetness of one’s friend—from counsel of the soul.
Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart; so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.
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.
Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity; better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.
11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, And I return a word [to] my reproacher.
My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that taunteth me.
12 The prudent has seen the evil, he is hidden, The simple have passed on, they are punished.
A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the thoughtless pass on, and are punished.
13 Take his garment when a stranger has been guarantor, And pledge it for a strange woman.
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; and hold him in pledge that is surety for an alien woman.
14 Whoever is greeting his friend with a loud voice, Rising early in the morning, It is reckoned a light thing to him.
He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.
15 A continual dropping in a day of rain, And a woman of contentions are alike,
A continual dropping in a very 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.
He that would hide her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand betrayeth itself.
17 Iron is sharpened by iron, And a man sharpens the face of his friend.
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
18 The keeper of a fig tree eats its fruit, And the preserver of his master is honored.
Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof; and he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
19 As [in] water the face [is] to face, So the heart of man to man.
As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.
20 Sheol and destruction are not satisfied, And the eyes of man are not satisfied. (Sheol )
The nether-world and Destruction are never satiated; so the eyes of man are never satiated. (Sheol )
21 A refining pot [is] for silver, and a furnace for gold, And a man according to his praise.
The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, and a man is tried by his praise.
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 thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle among groats, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
23 Know the face of your flock well, Set your heart to the droves,
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds;
24 For riches [are] not for all time, Nor a crown to generation and generation.
For riches are not for ever; and doth the crown endure unto all generations?
25 The hay was revealed, and the tender grass seen, And the herbs of mountains gathered.
When the hay is mown, and the tender grass showeth itself, and the herbs of the mountains are gathered in;
26 Lambs [are] for your clothing, And the price of the field [are] male goats,
The lambs will be for thy clothing, and the goats the price for a field.
27 And a sufficiency of goats’ milk [is] for your bread, For bread to your house, and life to your girls!
And there will be goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household; and maintenance for thy maidens.