Proverbs 27
New King James Version
My Son, Be Wise
27 Do(A) not boast about tomorrow,
For you do not know what a day may bring forth.
2 (B)Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.
3 A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,
But a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them.
4 Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent,
But (C)who is able to stand before jealousy?
5 (D)Open rebuke is better
Than love carefully concealed.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But the kisses of an enemy are (E)deceitful.
7 A satisfied soul [a]loathes the honeycomb,
But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a bird that wanders from its nest
Is a man who wanders from his place.
9 Ointment and perfume delight the heart,
And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by [b]hearty counsel.
10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend,
Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;
(F)Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.
11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,
(G)That I may answer him who reproaches me.
12 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself;
The simple pass on and are (H)punished.
13 Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it in pledge when he is surety for a seductress.
14 He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,
It will be counted a curse to him.
15 A (I)continual dripping on a very rainy day
And a contentious woman are alike;
16 Whoever [c]restrains her restrains the wind,
And grasps oil with his right hand.
17 As iron sharpens iron,
So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
18 (J)Whoever [d]keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit;
So he who waits on his master will be honored.
19 As in water face reflects face,
So a man’s heart reveals the man.
21 (M)The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
And a man is valued by what others say of him.
22 (N)Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,
Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.
23 Be diligent to know the state of your (O)flocks,
And attend to your herds;
24 For riches are not forever,
Nor does a crown endure to all generations.
25 (P)When the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself,
And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,
26 The lambs will provide your clothing,
And the goats the price of a field;
27 You shall have enough goats’ milk for your food,
For the food of your household,
And the nourishment of your maidservants.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 27:7 tramples on
- Proverbs 27:9 Lit. counsel of the soul
- Proverbs 27:16 Lit. hides
- Proverbs 27:18 protects or tends
- Proverbs 27:20 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 27:20 Heb. Abaddon
Proverbs 27
Christian Standard Bible
27 Don’t boast about tomorrow,
for you don’t know what a day might bring.(A)
2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth—
a stranger, and not your own lips.(B)
3 A stone is heavy, and sand a burden,
but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.
4 Fury is cruel, and anger a flood,
but who can withstand jealousy?(C)
5 Better an open reprimand
than concealed love.(D)
7 A person who is full tramples on a honeycomb,(G)
but to a hungry person, any bitter thing is sweet.
8 Anyone wandering from his home
is like a bird wandering from its nest.(H)
9 Oil(I) and incense bring joy to the heart,
and the sweetness of a friend is better than self-counsel.[a]
10 Don’t abandon your friend or your father’s friend,(J)
and don’t go to your brother’s house
in your time of calamity;
better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.(K)
12 A sensible person sees danger and takes cover;
the inexperienced keep going and are punished.(N)
13 Take his garment,
for he has put up security for a stranger;
get collateral if it is for foreigners.[b](O)
14 If one blesses his neighbor
with a loud voice early in the morning,
it will be counted as a curse to him.
15 An endless dripping on a rainy day
and a nagging wife are alike;(P)
16 the one who controls her controls the wind
and grasps oil with his right hand.
17 Iron sharpens iron,
and one person sharpens another.[c]
18 Whoever tends a fig tree(Q) will eat its fruit,(R)
and whoever looks after his master will be honored.
19 As water reflects the face,
so the heart reflects the person.
21 As a crucible refines silver,
and a smelter refines gold,
so a person should refine his praise.(V)
22 Though you grind a fool
in a mortar with a pestle along with grain,
you will not separate his foolishness from him.(W)
23 Know well the condition of your flock,(X)
and pay attention to your herds,
24 for wealth is not forever;(Y)
not even a crown lasts for all time.
25 When hay is removed and new growth appears
and the grain from the hills is gathered in,
26 lambs will provide your clothing,
and goats, the price of a field;
27 there will be enough goat’s milk for your food—
food for your household
and nourishment for your female servants.(Z)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.