Proverbs 27
1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Let someone else praise you and not your own mouth; a stranger and not your own lips.
3 A stone [is] heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s wrath [is] heavier than them both.
Consider the heaviness of a stone and the weight of sand— the provocation of a fool is heavier than both.
4 Wrath [is] cruel, and anger [is] outrageous; but who [is] able to stand before envy?
There is the cruelty of rage and the flood of anger, but who is able to stand before jealousy?
5 Open rebuke [is] better than secret love.
Better is an open rebuke than hidden love.
6 Faithful [are] the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy [are] deceitful.
Faithful are the wounds caused by a friend, but an enemy may kiss you profusely.
7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
A person who has eaten to the full rejects even a honeycomb, but to the hungry person, every bitter thing is sweet.
8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so [is] a man that wandereth from his place.
Like a bird that wanders from its nest is a man who strays from where he lives.
9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so [doth] the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.
Perfume and incense make the heart rejoice, but the sweetness of a friend comes from his sincere counsel.
10 Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: [for] better [is] a neighbour [that is] near than a brother far off.
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.
11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.
Be wise, my son, and make my heart rejoice; then I will give back an answer to the one who mocks me.
12 A prudent [man] foreseeth the evil, [and] hideth himself; [but] the simple pass on, [and] are punished.
A prudent man sees trouble and hides himself, but the naive people go on and suffer because of it.
13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
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.
14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.
Whoever gives his neighbor a blessing with a loud voice early in the morning, that blessing will be considered to be a curse!
15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.
A quarreling wife is like the constant dripping on a rainy day;
16 Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, [which] bewrayeth [itself].
restraining her is like restraining the wind, or trying to catch oil in your right hand.
17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Iron sharpens iron; in the same way, a man sharpens his friend.
18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
The one who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and the one who protects his master will be honored.
19 As in water face [answereth] to face, so the heart of man to man.
Just as water reflects a person's face, so a person's heart reflects the person.
Just as Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, so a man's eyes are never satisfied. (Sheol h7585)
21 [As] the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so [is] a man to his praise.
A crucible is for silver and a furnace is for gold; and a person is tested when he is praised.
22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, [yet] will not his foolishness depart from him.
Even if you crush a fool with the pestle—along with the grain— yet his foolishness will not leave him.
23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, [and] look well to thy herds.
Be sure you know the condition of your flocks and be concerned about your herds,
24 For riches [are] not for ever: and doth the crown [endure] to every generation?
for wealth is not forever. Does a crown endure for all generations?
25 The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.
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.
26 The lambs [are] for thy clothing, and the goats [are] the price of the field.
Those lambs will provide your clothing and the goats will provide the price of the field.
27 And [thou shalt have] goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and [for] the maintenance for thy maidens.
There will be goats' milk for your food—the food for your household— and nourishment for your servant girls.
