< Proverbs 27 >
1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
Make no boast for thyself of the coming day; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
2 Let someone else praise you and not your own mouth; a stranger and not your own lips.
Let another man praise thee, and not thy own mouth; a stranger, and not thy own lips.
3 Consider the heaviness of a stone and the weight of sand— the provocation of a fool is heavier than both.
A stone hath heaviness, and the sand, weight; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both of them.
4 There is the cruelty of rage and the flood of anger, but who is able to stand before jealousy?
Fury hath its cruelty, and anger its overwhelming power; but who is able to stand before jealousy?
5 Better is an open rebuke than hidden love.
Better is open reproof than concealed love.
6 Faithful are the wounds caused by a friend, but an enemy may kiss you profusely.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but deceptive are the kisses of an enemy.
7 A person who has eaten to the full rejects even a honeycomb, but to the hungry person, every bitter thing is sweet.
The satisfied soul treadeth under foot fine honey; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a bird that wanders from its nest is a man who strays from where he lives.
As a bird that wandereth away from her nest, so is a man that wandereth away from his place.
9 Perfume and incense make the heart rejoice, but the sweetness of a friend comes from his sincere counsel.
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 forsake your friend and your friend's father, and do not go to your brother's house on the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is nearby than a brother who is 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 Be wise, my son, and make my heart rejoice; then I will give back an answer to the one who mocks me.
Become wise, my son, and cause my heart to rejoice, that I may give an answer to him that reproacheth me.
12 A prudent man sees trouble and hides himself, but the naive people go on and suffer because of it.
The prudent foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
13 Take a garment of one who has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an immoral woman.
Take his garment, for he became surety for a stranger; and on account of an alien woman take a pledge of him.
14 Whoever gives his neighbor a blessing with a loud voice early in the morning, that blessing will be considered to be a curse!
When one saluteth his friend with a loud voice, when rising early in the morning, it will be counted a curse to him.
15 A quarreling wife is like the constant dripping on a rainy day;
A continual dropping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.
16 restraining her is like restraining the wind, or trying to catch oil in your right hand.
He that would conceal her might conceal the wind, and as [fragrant] oil on his right hand, which would betray itself.
17 Iron sharpens iron; in the same way, a man sharpens his friend.
Iron is sharpened by iron: so doth a man sharpen himself on the countenance of his friend.
18 The one who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and the one who protects his master will be honored.
Whoso guardeth the fig-tree will eat its fruit: so he that watcheth over his master will be honored.
19 Just as water reflects a person's face, so a person's heart reflects the person.
As the water [showeth] to the face the [reflected] face: so doth the heart of man show itself to man.
20 Just as Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, so a man's eyes are never satisfied. (Sheol )
The nether world and the place of corruption are never satisfied: so are the eyes of man never satisfied. (Sheol )
21 A crucible is for silver and a furnace is for gold; and a person is tested when he is praised.
[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 crush a fool with the pestle—along with the grain— yet his foolishness will not leave him.
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 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks and be concerned about your herds,
Endeavor to know well the appearance of thy flocks, direct thy attention to thy herds;
24 for wealth is not forever. Does a crown endure for all generations?
For property endureth not for ever, nor doth the crown remain for all generations.
25 You should know when the hay is gone and the new growth appears, and the time when the grass from the hills is gathered in.
When the grass is past, young verdure showeth itself, and then are gathered the herbs of the mountains.
26 Those lambs will provide your clothing and the goats will provide the price of the field.
The sheep are for thy clothing, and he-goats are the purchase-price of a field.
27 There will be goats' milk for your food—the food for your household— and nourishment for your servant girls.
And thou wilt have enough of goats' milk for thy food, for the food of thy household, and the support for thy maidens.