Proverbs 27
1 Do not make a noise about tomorrow, for you are not certain what a day's outcome may be.
Boast not of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what the next day shall bring forth.
2 Let another man give you praise, and not your mouth; one who is strange to you, and not your lips.
Let thy neighbour, and not thine own mouth, praise thee; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
3 A stone has great weight, and sand is crushing; but the wrath of the foolish is of greater weight than these.
A stone is heavy, and sand cumbersome; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both.
4 Wrath is cruel, and angry feeling an overflowing stream; but who does not give way before envy?
Wrath is merciless, and anger sharp: but envy can bear nothing.
5 Better is open protest than love kept secret.
Open reproofs are better than secret love.
6 The wounds of a friend are given in good faith, but the kisses of a hater are false.
The wounds of a friend are more to be trusted than the spontaneous kisses of an enemy.
7 The full man has no use for honey, but to the man in need of food every bitter thing is sweet.
A full soul scorns honeycombs; but to a hungry soul even bitter things appear sweet.
8 Like a bird wandering from the place of her eggs is a man wandering from his station.
As when a bird flies down from its own nest, so a man is brought into bondage whenever he estranges himself from his own place.
9 Oil and perfume make glad the heart, and the wise suggestion of a friend is sweet to the soul.
The heart delights in ointments and wines and perfumes: but the soul is broken by calamities.
10 Do not give up your friend and your father's friend; and do not go into your brother's house in the day of your trouble: better is a neighbour who is near than a brother far off.
Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; and when thou art in distress go not into thy brother's house: better is a friend [that is] near than a brother living far off.
11 My son, be wise and make my heart glad, so that I may give back an answer to him who puts me to shame.
Son, be wise, that thy heart may rejoice; and remove thou from thyself reproachful words.
12 The sharp man sees the evil and takes cover: the simple go straight on and get into trouble.
A wise man, when evils are approaching, hides himself; but fools pass on, and will be punished.
13 Take a man's clothing if he makes himself responsible for a strange man, and get an undertaking from him who gives his word for strange men.
Take away the man's garment, (for a scorner has passed by) whoever lays waste another's goods.
14 He who gives a blessing to his friend with a loud voice, getting up early in the morning, will have it put to his account as a curse.
Whosoever shall bless a friend in the morning with a loud voice, shall seem to differ nothing from one who curses [him].
15 Like an unending dropping on a day of rain is a bitter-tongued woman.
On a stormy day drops [of rain] drive a man out of his house; so also does a railing woman [drive a man] out of his own house.
16 He who keeps secret the secret of his friend, will get himself a name for good faith.
The north wind is sharp, but it is called by name propitious.
17 Iron makes iron sharp; so a man makes sharp his friend.
Iron sharpens iron; and a man sharpens his friend's countenance.
18 Whoever keeps a fig-tree will have its fruit; and the servant waiting on his master will be honoured.
He that plants a fig-tree shall eat the fruits of it: so he that waits on his own master shall be honoured.
19 Like face looking at face in water, so are the hearts of men to one another.
As faces are not like [other] faces, so neither are the thoughts of men.
Hell and destruction are not filled; so also are the eyes of men insatiable. [He that fixes his eye is an abomination to the Lord; and the uninstructed do not restrain their tongue.] (Sheol h7585)
21 The heating-pot is for silver and the oven-fire for gold, and a man is measured by what he is praised for.
Fire is the trial for silver and gold; and a man is tried by the mouth of them that praise him. The heart of the transgressor seeks after mischiefs; but an upright heart seeks knowledge.
22 Even if a foolish man is crushed with a hammer in a vessel among crushed grain, still his foolish ways will not go from him.
Though thou scourge a fool, disgracing him in the midst of the council, thou wilt [still] in no wise remove his folly from him.
23 Take care to have knowledge about the condition of your flocks, looking well after your herds;
Do thou thoroughly know the number of thy flock, and pay attention to thine herds.
24 For wealth is not for ever, and money does not go on for all generations.
For a man [has] not strength and power for ever; neither does he transmit it from generation to generation.
25 The grass comes up and the young grass is seen, and the mountain plants are got in.
Take care of the herbage in the field, and thou shalt cut grass, and gather the mountain hay;
26 The lambs are for your clothing, and the he-goats make the value of a field:
that thou mayest have [wool of] sheep for clothing: pay attention to the land, that thou mayest have lambs.
27 There will be goats' milk enough for your food, and for the support of your servant-girls.
[My] son, thou hast from me words very useful for thy life, and for the life of thy servants.
