Proverbs 27
1 Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring.
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 sand is a burden; but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
A stone is heavy, and sand cumbersome; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both.
4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?
Wrath is merciless, and anger sharp: but envy can bear nothing.
5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
Open reproofs are better than secret love.
6 The wounds of a friend are faithful, although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.
The wounds of a friend are more to be trusted than the spontaneous kisses of an enemy.
7 A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a 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 who wanders from his home.
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 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.
The heart delights in ointments and wines and perfumes: but the soul is broken by calamities.
10 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 neighbor who is near is better than a distant brother.
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 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.
Son, be wise, that thy heart may rejoice; and remove thou from thyself reproachful words.
12 A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
A wise man, when evils are approaching, hides himself; but fools pass on, and will be punished.
13 Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!
Take away the man's garment, (for a scorner has passed by) whoever lays waste another's goods.
14 He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse by 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 on a rainy day and a contentious wife 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 restraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil in his right hand.
The north wind is sharp, but it is called by name propitious.
17 Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.
Iron sharpens iron; and a man sharpens his friend's countenance.
18 Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after 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 Like water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the 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 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by 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 grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed 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 Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds,
Do thou thoroughly know the number of thy flock, and pay attention to thine herds.
24 for riches are not forever, nor does the crown endure to all generations.
For a man [has] not strength and power for ever; neither does he transmit it from generation to generation.
25 The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered 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 goats are the price 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 plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.
[My] son, thou hast from me words very useful for thy life, and for the life of thy servants.
