Proverbs 27
1 Do not boast about [what you will do] tomorrow, because you do not know what will happen [PRS] on any day.
Make no boast for thyself of the coming day; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
2 Do not praise yourself [MTY, PRS]; allow others to praise you. If someone else praises you, that is okay.
Let another man praise thee, and not thy own mouth; a stranger, and not thy own lips.
3 [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.]
A stone hath heaviness, and the sand, weight; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both of them.
4 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.
Fury hath its cruelty, and anger its overwhelming power; but who is able to stand before jealousy?
5 It is better to correct someone openly than to show that you l don’t love that person [by not correcting him].
Better is open reproof than concealed love.
6 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.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but deceptive are the kisses of an enemy.
7 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.
The satisfied soul treadeth under foot fine honey; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
8 Anyone who wanders [far] from his home/family is like [SIM] a bird that is far from its nest.
As a bird that wandereth away from her nest, so is a man that wandereth away from his place.
9 [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].
Oil and perfume cause the heart to rejoice, and so do the sweet words of a friend more than one's own counsel.
10 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.
Thy own friend, and thy father's friend, thou must not forsake; but into thy brother's house enter not on the day of thy calamity: better is a near neighbor than a distant brother.
11 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].
Become wise, my son, and cause my heart to rejoice, that I may give an answer to him that reproacheth me.
12 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.
The prudent foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
13 [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].
Take his garment, for he became surety for a stranger; and on account of an alien woman take a pledge of him.
14 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].
When one saluteth his friend with a loud voice, when rising early in the morning, it will be counted a curse to him.
15 [Having] a wife that is [constantly] nagging is as [bad as listening] to rain continually dripping on a rainy day.
A continual dropping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.
16 [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.
He that would conceal her might conceal the wind, and as [fragrant] oil on his right hand, which would betray itself.
17 [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].
Iron is sharpened by iron: so doth a man sharpen himself on the countenance of his friend.
18 Those who take care of fig trees will have figs to eat; [similarly], servants who protect their master will be honored [by him].
Whoso guardeth the fig-tree will eat its fruit: so he that watcheth over his master will be honored.
19 [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.
As the water [showeth] to the face the [reflected] face: so doth the heart of man show itself to man.
20 [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)
The nether world and the place of corruption are never satisfied: so are the eyes of man never satisfied. (Sheol h7585)
21 [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.
[As] the fining-pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: so is a man [proved] according to his praise.
22 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).
Though thou shouldst pound the fool in a mortar, in the midst of grains of wheat with a pestle: still would his folly not depart from him.
23 Take good care of your flocks of sheep and herds of cattle,
Endeavor to know well the appearance of thy flocks, direct thy attention to thy herds;
24 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.
For property endureth not for ever, nor doth the crown remain for all generations.
25 After you cut the hay [DOU] and [store it to feed the animals in the winter while] a new crop of hay is growing,
When the grass is past, young verdure showeth itself, and then are gathered the herbs of the mountains.
26 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,
The sheep are for thy clothing, and he-goats are the purchase-price of a field.
27 and you will get enough milk from the [other] goats for you and your family and your female servants.
And thou wilt have enough of goats' milk for thy food, for the food of thy household, and the support for thy maidens.
