Proverbs 27
1 Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring.
Boast not for tomorrow, for thou knowest not what the day to come may bring forth.
2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
Let another praise thee, and not thy own mouth: a stranger, and not thy 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 weighty: but the anger of a fool is heavier than them both.
4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?
Anger hath no mercy, nor fury when it breaketh forth: and who can bear the violence of one provoked?
5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
Open rebuke is better than hidden love.
6 The wounds of a friend are faithful, although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.
Better are the wounds of a friend, than the deceitful kisses of an enemy.
7 A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.
A soul that is full shall tread upon the honeycomb: and a soul that is hungry shall take even bitter for sweet.
8 As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home.
As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that leaveth his place.
9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.
Ointment and perfumes rejoice the heart: and the good counsels of a friend are sweet to the soul.
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.
Thy own friend, and thy father’s friend forsake not: and go not into thy brother’s house in the day of thy affliction. Better is a neighbour that is near, than a brother afar off.
11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.
Study wisdom, my son, and make my heart joyful, that thou mayst give an answer to him that reproacheth.
12 A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
The prudent man seeing evil hideth himself: little ones passing on have suffered losses.
13 Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!
Take away his garment that hath been surety for a stranger: and take from him a pledge for strangers.
14 He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse by him.
He that blesseth his neighbour with a loud voice, rising in the night, shall be like to him that curseth.
15 A continual dropping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike:
Roofs dropping through in a cold day, and a contentious woman are alike.
16 restraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil in his right hand.
He that retaineth her, is as he that would hold the wind, and shall call in the oil of his right hand.
17 Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.
Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
18 Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after his master shall be honored.
He that keepeth the fig tree, shall eat the fruit thereof: and he that is the keeper of his master, shall be glorified.
19 Like water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.
As the faces of them that look therein, shine in the water, so-the hearts of men are laid open to the wise.
Hell and destruction are never filled: so the eyes of men are never satisfied. (Sheol h7585)
21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise.
As silver is tried in the fining-pot and gold in the furnace: so a man is tried by the mouth of him that praiseth. The heart of the wicked seeketh after evils, but the righteous heart seeketh after 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 shouldst bray a fool in the mortar, as when a pestle striketh upon sodden barley, his folly would not be taken from him.
23 Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds,
Be diligent to know the countenance of thy cattle, and consider thy own flocks:
24 for riches are not forever, nor does the crown endure to all generations.
For thou shalt not always have power: but a crown shall be given to generation and generation.
25 The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in.
The meadows are open, and the green herbs have appeared, and the hay is gathered out of the mountains.
26 The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field.
Lambs are for thy clothing: and kids for the price of the field.
27 There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.
Let the milk of the goats be enough for thy food, and for the necessities of thy house, and for maintenance for thy handmaids.
