Like (A)a bird that strays from its nest
    is a man who strays from his home.
(B)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 (C)your father's friend,
    and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity.
(D)Better is a neighbor who is near
    than a brother who is far away.
11 (E)Be wise, (F)my son, and (G)make my heart glad,
    that I may (H)answer him who reproaches me.
12 (I)The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
    but (J)the simple go on and suffer for it.
13 (K)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 (L)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 (M)Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
    and he who (N)guards his master will be honored.
19 As in water face reflects face,
    so the heart of man reflects the man.
20 (O)Sheol and Abaddon are (P)never satisfied,
    and (Q)never satisfied are the eyes of man.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 27:9 Or and so does the sweetness of a friend that comes from his earnest counsel
  2. Proverbs 27:13 Hebrew a foreign woman; a slight emendation yields (compare Vulgate; see also 20:16) foreigners
  3. Proverbs 27:16 Hebrew to meet with
  4. Proverbs 27:17 Hebrew sharpens the face of another

Like a bird that flees its nest(A)
    is anyone who flees from home.

Perfume(B) 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(C) strikes you—
    better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.

11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart;(D)
    then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.(E)

12 The prudent see danger and take refuge,
    but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.(F)

13 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
    hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.(G)

14 If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning,
    it will be taken as a curse.

15 A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping(H)
    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,(I)
    and whoever protects their master will be honored.(J)

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

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

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Footnotes

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