Proverbs 27
1 Boast not yourself of to morrow; for you know not what a day may bring forth.
Boast not of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what the next day shall bring forth.
2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
Let thy neighbour, and not thine own mouth, praise thee; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both.
A stone is heavy, and sand cumbersome; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both.
4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?
Wrath is merciless, and anger sharp: but envy can bear nothing.
5 Open rebuke is better than secret love.
Open reproofs are better than secret love.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
The wounds of a friend are more to be trusted than the spontaneous kisses of an enemy.
7 The full soul loathes an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
A full soul scorns honeycombs; but to a hungry soul even bitter things appear sweet.
8 As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man that wanders from his place.
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 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so does the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.
The heart delights in ointments and wines and perfumes: but the soul is broken by calamities.
10 Your own friend, and your father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into your brother’s house in the day of your calamity: for better is a neighbor that 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, that I may answer him that reproaches me.
Son, be wise, that thy heart may rejoice; and remove thou from thyself reproachful words.
12 A prudent man foresees the evil, and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
A wise man, when evils are approaching, hides himself; but fools pass on, and will be punished.
13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
Take away the man's garment, (for a scorner has passed by) whoever lays waste another's goods.
14 He that blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.
Whosoever shall bless a friend in the morning with a loud voice, shall seem to differ nothing from one who curses [him].
15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.
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 Whoever hides her hides the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which denudes itself.
The north wind is sharp, but it is called by name propitious.
17 Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
Iron sharpens iron; and a man sharpens his friend's countenance.
18 Whoever keeps the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waits on his master shall be honored.
He that plants a fig-tree shall eat the fruits of it: so he that waits on his own master shall be honoured.
19 As in water face answers to face, so the heart of man to man.
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 As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.
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 Though you should bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart 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 Be you diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds.
Do thou thoroughly know the number of thy flock, and pay attention to thine herds.
24 For riches are not for ever: and does the crown endure to every generation?
For a man [has] not strength and power for ever; neither does he transmit it from generation to generation.
25 The hay appears, and the tender grass shows itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.
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 goats are the price of the field.
that thou mayest have [wool of] sheep for clothing: pay attention to the land, that thou mayest have lambs.
27 And you shall have goats’ milk enough for your food, for the food of your household, and for the maintenance for your maidens.
[My] son, thou hast from me words very useful for thy life, and for the life of thy servants.
