Proverbs 27
English Standard Version
27 Do not boast about tomorrow,
(A)for you do not know what a day may bring.
2 Let (B)another praise you, and not your own mouth;
a stranger, and not your own lips.
3 A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,
but (C)a fool's provocation is heavier than both.
4 Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,
but who can stand before (D)jealousy?
5 (E)Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
6 Faithful are (F)the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
7 One who is full loathes (G)honey,
but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.
8 Like (H)a bird that strays from its nest
is a man who strays from his home.
9 (I)Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.[a]
10 Do not forsake your friend and (J)your father's friend,
and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity.
(K)Better is a neighbor who is near
than a brother who is far away.
11 (L)Be wise, (M)my son, and (N)make my heart glad,
that I may (O)answer him who reproaches me.
12 (P)The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but (Q)the simple go on and suffer for it.
13 (R)Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.[b]
14 Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,
rising early in the morning,
will be counted as cursing.
15 (S)A continual dripping on a rainy day
and a quarrelsome wife are alike;
16 to restrain her is to restrain the wind
or to grasp[c] oil in one's right hand.
17 Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.[d]
18 (T)Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and he who (U)guards his master will be honored.
19 As in water face reflects face,
so the heart of man reflects the man.
20 (V)Sheol and Abaddon are (W)never satisfied,
and (X)never satisfied are the eyes of man.
21 (Y)The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
and a man is tested by his praise.
22 (Z)Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
along with crushed grain,
yet his folly will not depart from him.
23 (AA)Know well the condition of your flocks,
and (AB)give attention to your herds,
24 for (AC)riches do not last forever;
and does a crown endure to all generations?
25 (AD)When the grass is gone and the new growth appears
and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,
26 (AE)the lambs will provide your clothing,
and the goats the price of a field.
27 (AF)There will be enough goats' milk for your food,
for the food of your household
and maintenance for your girls.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 27:9 Or and so does the sweetness of a friend that comes from his earnest counsel
- Proverbs 27:13 Hebrew a foreign woman; a slight emendation yields (compare Vulgate; see also 20:16) foreigners
- Proverbs 27:16 Hebrew to meet with
- Proverbs 27:17 Hebrew sharpens the face of another
Proverbs 27
New International Version - UK
27 Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring.
2 Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;
an outsider, and not your own lips.
3 Stone is heavy and sand a burden,
but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy?
5 Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
but an enemy multiplies kisses.
7 One who is full loathes honey from the comb,
but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.
8 Like a bird that flees its nest
is anyone who flees from home.
9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,
and the pleasantness of a friend
springs from their heartfelt advice.
10 Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,
and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you –
better a neighbour nearby than a relative far away.
11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart;
then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.
12 The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
13 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.
14 If anyone loudly blesses their neighbour early in the morning,
it will be taken as a curse.
15 A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping
of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;
16 restraining her is like restraining the wind
or grasping oil with the hand.
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.
18 The one who guards a fig-tree will eat its fruit,
and whoever protects their master will be honoured.
19 As water reflects the face,
so one’s life reflects the heart.[a]
20 Death and Destruction[b] are never satisfied,
and neither are human eyes.
21 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
but people are tested by their praise.
22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar,
grinding them like grain with a pestle,
you will not remove their folly from them.
23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
give careful attention to your herds;
24 for riches do not endure for ever,
and a crown is not secure for all generations.
25 When the hay is removed and new growth appears
and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
26 the lambs will provide you with clothing,
and the goats with the price of a field.
27 You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family
and to nourish your female servants.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 27:19 Or so others reflect your heart back to you
- Proverbs 27:20 Hebrew Abaddon
Proverbs 27
American Standard Version
27 Boast not thyself of tomorrow;
For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth;
A stranger, and not thine own lips.
3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty;
But a fool’s vexation is heavier than they both.
4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is [a]overwhelming;
But who is able to stand before jealousy?
5 Better is open rebuke
Than love that is hidden.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
But the kisses of an enemy are profuse.
7 The full soul [b]loatheth a honeycomb;
But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest,
So is a man that wandereth from his place.
9 Oil and perfume rejoice the heart;
So doth the sweetness of a man’s friend that cometh of hearty counsel.
10 Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not;
And go not to thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity:
Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.
11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,
That I may answer him that reproacheth me.
12 A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself;
But the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger;
And hold him in pledge that is surety for a foreign woman.
14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,
It shall be counted a curse to him.
15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day
And a contentious woman are alike:
16 He that would [c]restrain her [d]restraineth the wind;
And [e]his right hand encountereth oil.
17 Iron sharpeneth iron;
So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
18 Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof;
And he that regardeth his master shall be honored.
19 [f]As in water face answereth to face,
So the heart of man to man.
20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied;
And the eyes of man are never satisfied.
21 The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold;
And a man is tried by [g]his praise.
22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with bruised grain,
Yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks,
And look well to thy herds:
24 For riches are not for ever;
And doth the crown endure unto all generations?
25 The [h]hay is carried, and the tender grass showeth itself,
And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in.
26 The lambs are for thy clothing,
And the goats are the price of the field;
27 And there will be goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household,
And maintenance for thy maidens.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 27:4 Hebrew a flood.
- Proverbs 27:7 Hebrew trampleth upon.
- Proverbs 27:16 Hebrew hide.
- Proverbs 27:16 Hebrew hideth.
- Proverbs 27:16 Or, the oil of his right hand betrayeth itself
- Proverbs 27:19 Or, As water showeth face to face, so the heart showeth man to man
- Proverbs 27:21 Or, that which he praiseth. Or, that whereof he boasteth
- Proverbs 27:25 Hebrew grass.
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