Proverbs 27
1 Boast not thyself of to-morrow, For thou knowest not what a day bringeth forth.
Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring.
2 Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth, A stranger, and not thine own lips.
Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your 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 is a burden; but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
4 Fury [is] fierce, and anger [is] overflowing, And who standeth 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 hidden love.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a lover, And abundant the kisses of an enemy.
The wounds of a friend are faithful, although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.
7 A satiated soul treadeth down a honeycomb, And [to] a hungry soul every bitter thing [is] sweet.
A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a 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 wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home.
9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, And the sweetness of one's friend — from counsel of the soul.
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.
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.
Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend. Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster. A neighbour who is near is better than a distant brother.
11 Be wise, my son, and rejoice my heart. And I return my reproacher a word.
Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.
12 The prudent hath seen the evil, he is hidden, The simple have passed on, they are punished.
A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
13 Take his garment, when a stranger hath been surety, And for a strange woman pledge it.
Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!
14 Whoso is saluting his friend with a loud voice, In the morning rising early, A light thing it is reckoned to him.
He who blesses his neighbour with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse by him.
15 A continual dropping in a day of rain, And a woman of contentions are alike,
A continual dropping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike:
16 Whoso is hiding her hath hidden the wind, And the ointment of his right hand calleth out.
restraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil in his right hand.
17 Iron by iron is sharpened, And a man sharpens the face of his friend.
Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.
18 The keeper of a fig-tree eateth its fruit, And the preserver of his master is honoured.
Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after his master shall be honoured.
19 As [in] water the face [is] to face, So the heart of man to man.
Like water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.
Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man’s eyes are never satisfied. (Sheol h7585)
21 A refining pot [is] for silver, and a furnace for gold, And a man according to his praise.
The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise.
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 you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.
23 Know well the face of thy flock, Set thy heart to the droves,
Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds,
24 For riches [are] not to the age, Nor a crown to generation and generation.
for riches are not forever, nor does the crown endure to all generations.
25 Revealed was the hay, and seen the tender grass, And gathered the herbs of mountains.
The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in.
26 Lambs [are] for thy clothing, And the price of the field [are] he-goats,
The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field.
27 And a sufficiency of goats' milk [is] for thy bread, For bread to thy house, and life to thy damsels!
There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.
