Proverbs 27
1 Do not boast thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Do not boast about [what you will do] tomorrow, because you do not know what will happen [PRS] on any day.
2 Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth, a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Do not praise yourself [MTY, PRS]; allow others to praise you. If someone else praises you, that is okay.
3 Heavy is a stone, and weighty is sand, —but, the vexation of a fool, is heavier than both.
[It causes pain to our bodies to carry heavy] stones or [a pail full of] sand, but doing something stupid/foolish [can cause] great [pain to other people’s spirits.]
4 The cruelty of rage, and the overflow of anger! But who can stand before, jealousy?
It is cruel to be angry [with others], and our being angry sometimes destroys [others], but being jealous of someone is [RHQ] often more cruel than that.
5 Better is a rebuke that is open, than love carefully concealed.
It is better to correct someone openly than to show that you l don’t love that person [by not correcting him].
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but lavished are the kisses of an enemy.
If a friend criticizes you, [he is a good friend and] you can trust him; but if one of your enemies kisses you, he is [probably wanting to] deceive you.
7 The surfeited soul, trampleth upon droppings from the comb, but, to the hungry soul, every bitter thing, is sweet.
When someone’s stomach is full, he does not want to eat honey; but when someone is [very] hungry, he thinks that [even] bitter things taste sweet.
8 As a bird wandering from her nest, so, is a man wandering from his place.
Anyone who wanders [far] from his home/family is like [SIM] a bird that is far from its nest.
9 Oil and perfume, rejoice the heart, the sweetness of one’s friend, more than fragrant wood.
[Putting olive] oil and perfume on a person’s skin causes him to feel good, but having a friend [who gives] good advice [is even better].
10 Thine own friend and thy father’s friend, do not thou forsake; but, the house of thy brother, do not enter, in thy day of calamity, Better a neighbour near, than a brother far off.
Do not neglect your friends or your parents’ friends; and at a time when you are experiencing a disaster, do not go to a relative [who lives far away to request his help]; someone who lives near you can help you more than relatives who live far away.
11 Be wise, my son, and rejoice my heart, that I may answer him that reproacheth me in a matter.
My child/son, cause me to be happy by becoming wise, in order that I will [know how to] reply to those who would criticize me [about your behavior].
12 A prudent man, seeth calamity—he hideth himself, the simple, pass on—they suffer.
Those who have good sense will realize that there is something dangerous ahead, and they will hide; those who do not have good sense [just] keep going, and later they will suffer because of [doing] that.
13 Take a man’s garment when he hath become pledge for a stranger, then, for a female unknown, accept him as surety.
[You deserve to] have your property taken from you if you [foolishly] promise to a stranger (OR, a strange woman) that you will pay what she owes if she is unable to pay it [DOU].
14 He that blesseth his friend, with a loud voice, in the morning early, a reproach, shall it be reckoned to him.
If you rise early in the morning and call out a greeting to your neighbor [while he is still sleeping], he will consider it to be a curse, [not a blessing].
15 A continuous dripping on a day of downpour, and a contentious wife, are alike:
[Having] a wife that is [constantly] nagging is as [bad as listening] to rain continually dripping on a rainy day.
16 He that hideth her, hideth the wind, and, perfume, his right hand may proclaim.
[Trying] to restrain/stop her [from doing that] is as [difficult] [SIM] [as trying] to stop the wind or [trying] to hold oil in your hand.
17 Let, iron, by iron, become sharp, and let, a man, sharpen the face of his friend.
[We can use one] iron tool to sharpen [another] iron [tool]; similarly [SIM], [when one person shares] what he is thinking, it can help other people [to think more clearly].
18 He that guardeth the fig-tree, shall eat the fruit thereof, and, he that watcheth over his master, shall be honoured.
Those who take care of fig trees will have figs to eat; [similarly], servants who protect their master will be honored [by him].
19 As in water, face [answereth] to face, so, the heart of man to man.
[When a person looks] in the water, he sees his own face; similarly [SIM], [when we look at] a person’s behavior, we know what he is thinking.
20 Hades and destruction, are not satisfied, and, the eyes of a man, are not satisfied. (Sheol h7585)
[It is as though] the place where the dead people are is always wanting more people to [die and] come there; and humans [SYN] are always wanting to acquire more things, [too]. (Sheol h7585)
21 Fining pot for silver, and crucible for gold, and, a man, [is to be tried] by what he praiseth.
[Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and [SIM] people learn [what we are really like when they see how we react when people] praise us.
22 Though thou pound a fool in a mortar, amidst grain, with a pestle, his folly, will not depart from him.
Even if you beat/crush a fool severely [like] [MET] you pulverize grain with a pestle, you [probably] will not be able to cause him to stop (being foolish/doing foolish things).
23 Note well, the appearance of thy flock, apply thy mind to thy herds;
Take good care of your flocks of sheep and herds of cattle,
24 For, not age-abiding, are riches, nor is the diadem, from generation to generation: —
because the money [that you acquired from selling animals previously] will not (last/stay with you) forever; similarly [SIM], governments [MTY] certainly do not [RHQ] last forever.
25 The grass, is taken away, and the young shoot, showeth itself, and the herbage of the mountains, is gathered;
After you cut the hay [DOU] and [store it to feed the animals in the winter while] a new crop of hay is growing,
26 There are, lambs, for thy clothing, and, for the price of thy field, there are he-goats;
you will be able to [shear the sheep and] make clothes from the wool, and you will get money from selling [some of] the goats to buy [more] land,
27 With, enough goats-milk, for thy food—for the food of thy household, and, a maintenance, for thy maidens.
and you will get enough milk from the [other] goats for you and your family and your female servants.
