17 Iron sharpens iron,
    and one man sharpens another.[a]
18 (A)Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
    and he who (B)guards his master will be honored.
19 As in water face reflects face,
    so the heart of man reflects the man.
20 (C)Sheol and Abaddon are (D)never satisfied,
    and (E)never satisfied are the eyes of man.
21 (F)The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
    and a man is tested by his praise.
22 (G)Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
    along with crushed grain,
    yet his folly will not depart from him.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 27:17 Hebrew sharpens the face of another

17 As iron sharpens iron,
    so one person sharpens another.

18 The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit,(A)
    and whoever protects their master will be honored.(B)

19 As water reflects the face,
    so one’s life reflects the heart.[a]

20 Death and Destruction[b] are never satisfied,(C)
    and neither are human eyes.(D)

21 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,(E)
    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.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 27:19 Or so others reflect your heart back to you
  2. Proverbs 27:20 Hebrew Abaddon