Proverbiorum 27
1 ne glorieris in crastinum ignorans quid superventura pariat dies
Do not boast about [what you will do] tomorrow, because you do not know what will happen [PRS] on any day.
2 laudet te alienus et non os tuum extraneus et non labia tua
Do not praise yourself [MTY, PRS]; allow others to praise you. If someone else praises you, that is okay.
3 grave est saxum et onerosa harena sed ira stulti utroque gravior
[It causes pain to our bodies to carry heavy] stones or [a pail full of] sand, but doing something stupid/foolish [can cause] great [pain to other people’s spirits.]
4 ira non habet misericordiam nec erumpens furor et impetum concitati ferre quis poterit
It is cruel to be angry [with others], and our being angry sometimes destroys [others], but being jealous of someone is [RHQ] often more cruel than that.
5 melior est manifesta correptio quam amor absconditus
It is better to correct someone openly than to show that you l don’t love that person [by not correcting him].
6 meliora sunt vulnera diligentis quam fraudulenta odientis oscula
If a friend criticizes you, [he is a good friend and] you can trust him; but if one of your enemies kisses you, he is [probably wanting to] deceive you.
7 anima saturata calcabit favum anima esuriens et amarum pro dulce sumet
When someone’s stomach is full, he does not want to eat honey; but when someone is [very] hungry, he thinks that [even] bitter things taste sweet.
8 sicut avis transmigrans de nido suo sic vir qui relinquit locum suum
Anyone who wanders [far] from his home/family is like [SIM] a bird that is far from its nest.
9 unguento et variis odoribus delectatur cor et bonis amici consiliis anima dulcoratur
[Putting olive] oil and perfume on a person’s skin causes him to feel good, but having a friend [who gives] good advice [is even better].
10 amicum tuum et amicum patris tui ne dimiseris et domum fratris tui ne ingrediaris in die adflictionis tuae melior est vicinus iuxta quam frater procul
Do not neglect your friends or your parents’ friends; and at a time when you are experiencing a disaster, do not go to a relative [who lives far away to request his help]; someone who lives near you can help you more than relatives who live far away.
11 stude sapientiae fili mi et laetifica cor meum ut possim exprobranti respondere sermonem
My child/son, cause me to be happy by becoming wise, in order that I will [know how to] reply to those who would criticize me [about your behavior].
12 astutus videns malum absconditus est parvuli transeuntes sustinuere dispendia
Those who have good sense will realize that there is something dangerous ahead, and they will hide; those who do not have good sense [just] keep going, and later they will suffer because of [doing] that.
13 tolle vestimentum eius qui spopondit pro extraneo et pro alienis auferto pignus
[You deserve to] have your property taken from you if you [foolishly] promise to a stranger (OR, a strange woman) that you will pay what she owes if she is unable to pay it [DOU].
14 qui benedicit proximo suo voce grandi de nocte consurgens maledicenti similis erit
If you rise early in the morning and call out a greeting to your neighbor [while he is still sleeping], he will consider it to be a curse, [not a blessing].
15 tecta perstillantia in die frigoris et litigiosa mulier conparantur
[Having] a wife that is [constantly] nagging is as [bad as listening] to rain continually dripping on a rainy day.
16 qui retinet eam quasi qui ventum teneat et oleum dexterae suae vocabit
[Trying] to restrain/stop her [from doing that] is as [difficult] [SIM] [as trying] to stop the wind or [trying] to hold oil in your hand.
17 ferrum ferro acuitur et homo exacuit faciem amici sui
[We can use one] iron tool to sharpen [another] iron [tool]; similarly [SIM], [when one person shares] what he is thinking, it can help other people [to think more clearly].
18 qui servat ficum comedet fructus eius et qui custos est domini sui glorificabitur
Those who take care of fig trees will have figs to eat; [similarly], servants who protect their master will be honored [by him].
19 quomodo in aquis resplendent vultus prospicientium sic corda hominum manifesta sunt prudentibus
[When a person looks] in the water, he sees his own face; similarly [SIM], [when we look at] a person’s behavior, we know what he is thinking.
[It is as though] the place where the dead people are is always wanting more people to [die and] come there; and humans [SYN] are always wanting to acquire more things, [too]. (Sheol h7585)
21 quomodo probatur in conflatorio argentum et in fornace aurum sic probatur homo ore laudantis
[Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and [SIM] people learn [what we are really like when they see how we react when people] praise us.
22 si contuderis stultum in pila quasi tisanas feriente desuper pilo non auferetur ab eo stultitia eius
Even if you beat/crush a fool severely [like] [MET] you pulverize grain with a pestle, you [probably] will not be able to cause him to stop (being foolish/doing foolish things).
23 diligenter agnosce vultum pecoris tui tuosque greges considera
Take good care of your flocks of sheep and herds of cattle,
24 non enim habebis iugiter potestatem sed corona tribuetur in generatione generationum
because the money [that you acquired from selling animals previously] will not (last/stay with you) forever; similarly [SIM], governments [MTY] certainly do not [RHQ] last forever.
25 aperta sunt prata et apparuerunt herbae virentes et collecta sunt faena de montibus
After you cut the hay [DOU] and [store it to feed the animals in the winter while] a new crop of hay is growing,
26 agni ad vestimentum tuum et hedi agri pretium
you will be able to [shear the sheep and] make clothes from the wool, and you will get money from selling [some of] the goats to buy [more] land,
27 sufficiat tibi lac caprarum in cibos tuos in necessaria domus tuae et ad victum ancillis tuis
and you will get enough milk from the [other] goats for you and your family and your female servants.
