Proverbs 27
1 Boast not thyself of to-morrow, For thou knowest not what a day bringeth forth.
Boast not for tomorrow, for thou knowest not what the day to come may bring forth.
2 Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth, A stranger, and not thine own lips.
Let another praise thee, and not thy own mouth: a stranger, and not thy own lips.
3 A stone [is] heavy, and the sand [is] heavy, And the anger of a fool Is heavier than they both.
A stone is heavy, and sand weighty: but the anger of a fool is heavier than them both.
4 Fury [is] fierce, and anger [is] overflowing, And who standeth before jealousy?
Anger hath no mercy, nor fury when it breaketh forth: and who can bear the violence of one provoked?
5 Better [is] open reproof than hidden love.
Open rebuke is better than hidden love.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a lover, And abundant the kisses of an enemy.
Better are the wounds of a friend, than the deceitful kisses of an enemy.
7 A satiated soul treadeth down a honeycomb, And [to] a hungry soul every bitter thing [is] sweet.
A soul that is full shall tread upon the honeycomb: and a soul that is hungry shall take even bitter for 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 leaveth his place.
9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, And the sweetness of one's friend — from counsel of the soul.
Ointment and perfumes rejoice the heart: and the good counsels of a friend are sweet to the soul.
10 Thine own friend, and the friend of thy father, forsake not, And the house of thy brother enter not In a day of thy calamity, Better [is] a near neighbour than a brother afar off.
Thy own friend, and thy father’s friend forsake not: and go not into thy brother’s house in the day of thy affliction. Better is a neighbour that is near, than a brother afar off.
11 Be wise, my son, and rejoice my heart. And I return my reproacher a word.
Study wisdom, my son, and make my heart joyful, that thou mayst give an answer to him that reproacheth.
12 The prudent hath seen the evil, he is hidden, The simple have passed on, they are punished.
The prudent man seeing evil hideth himself: little ones passing on have suffered losses.
13 Take his garment, when a stranger hath been surety, And for a strange woman pledge it.
Take away his garment that hath been surety for a stranger: and take from him a pledge for strangers.
14 Whoso is saluting his friend with a loud voice, In the morning rising early, A light thing it is reckoned to him.
He that blesseth his neighbour with a loud voice, rising in the night, shall be like to him that curseth.
15 A continual dropping in a day of rain, And a woman of contentions are alike,
Roofs dropping through in a cold day, and a contentious woman are alike.
16 Whoso is hiding her hath hidden the wind, And the ointment of his right hand calleth out.
He that retaineth her, is as he that would hold the wind, and shall call in the oil of his right hand.
17 Iron by iron is sharpened, 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 eateth its fruit, And the preserver of his master is honoured.
He that keepeth the fig tree, shall eat the fruit thereof: and he that is the keeper of his master, shall be glorified.
19 As [in] water the face [is] to face, So the heart of man to man.
As the faces of them that look therein, shine in the water, so-the hearts of men are laid open to the wise.
Hell and destruction are never filled: so the eyes of men are never satisfied. (Sheol h7585)
21 A refining pot [is] for silver, and a furnace for gold, And a man according to his praise.
As silver is tried in the fining-pot and gold in the furnace: so a man is tried by the mouth of him that praiseth. The heart of the wicked seeketh after evils, but the righteous heart seeketh after knowledge.
22 If thou dost beat the foolish in a mortar, Among washed things — with a pestle, His folly turneth not aside from off him.
Though thou shouldst bray a fool in the mortar, as when a pestle striketh upon sodden barley, his folly would not be taken from him.
23 Know well the face of thy flock, Set thy heart to the droves,
Be diligent to know the countenance of thy cattle, and consider thy own flocks:
24 For riches [are] not to the age, Nor a crown to generation and generation.
For thou shalt not always have power: but a crown shall be given to generation and generation.
25 Revealed was the hay, and seen the tender grass, And gathered the herbs of mountains.
The meadows are open, and the green herbs have appeared, and the hay is gathered out of the mountains.
26 Lambs [are] for thy clothing, And the price of the field [are] he-goats,
Lambs are for thy clothing: and kids for the price of the field.
27 And a sufficiency of goats' milk [is] for thy bread, For bread to thy house, and life to thy damsels!
Let the milk of the goats be enough for thy food, and for the necessities of thy house, and for maintenance for thy handmaids.
