Proverbs 27
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
27 Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may 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 is weighty,
but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.(C)
4 Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,
but who is able to stand before jealousy?
5 Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.(D)
6 Well meant are the wounds a friend inflicts,
but profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
7 The sated appetite spurns honey,
but to a ravenous appetite even the bitter is sweet.(E)
8 Like a bird that strays from its nest
is one who strays from home.
9 Perfume and incense make the heart glad,
but the soul is torn by trouble.[a]
10 Do not forsake your friend or the friend of your parent;
do not go to the house of your kindred in the day of your calamity.
Better is a neighbor who is nearby
than kindred who are far away.(F)
11 Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad,
so that I may answer whoever reproaches me.(G)
12 The clever see danger and hide,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.(H)
13 Take the garment of one who has given surety for a stranger;
seize the pledge given as surety for foreigners.[b](I)
14 Whoever blesses a neighbor with a loud voice,
rising early in the morning,
will be counted as cursing.
15 A continual dripping on a rainy day
and a contentious wife are alike;(J)
16 to restrain her is to restrain the wind
or to grasp oil in the right hand.[c]
17 Iron sharpens iron,
and one person sharpens the wits[d] of another.
18 Anyone who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and anyone who takes care of a master will be honored.(K)
19 Just as water reflects the face,
so one human heart reflects another.
20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
and human eyes are never satisfied.(L)
21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
so a person is tested[e] by being praised.(M)
22 Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
along with crushed grain,
but the folly will not be driven out.(N)
23 Know well the condition of your flocks,
and give attention to your herds,
24 for riches do not last forever,
nor a crown for all generations.(O)
25 When the grass is gone, and new growth appears,
and the herbage of the mountains is gathered,(P)
26 the lambs will provide your clothing,
and the goats the price of a field;
27 there will be enough goats’ milk for your food,
for the food of your household
and nourishment for your female servants.
Proverbs 27
Lexham English Bible
27 Do not boast about tomorrow,[a]
for you do not know what the day will bring.
2 May another praise you and not your own mouth,
a stranger and not your own lips.
3 Heavy is a stone and weighty is sand,
but the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.
4 Cruel is wrath and overwhelming is anger,
but who will stand before jealousy?
5 Better a rebuke that is open
than a love that is hidden.
6 The wounds of a friend mean well,
but the kisses of an enemy are profane.
7 An appetite[b] that is sated spurns honey,
but to an appetite[c] that is ravenous, all bitterness is sweet.
8 Like a bird that strays from its nest,
so is a man who strays from his place.
9 Perfume and incense will gladden a heart,
and the pleasantness of one’s friend is personal advice.[d]
10 As for your friend and a friend of your father, do not forsake them,
and the house of your brother, do not enter on the day of your calamity.
Better is a close neighbor than a distant brother.
11 Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad,
and I will answer him who reproaches me with a word.
12 When the clever sees danger, he hides;
the simple go on and suffer.
13 Take his garment, for he gives surety to a stranger,
and to an adulteress[e]—so take his pledge.
14 He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice
early in the morning,
a curse will be reckoned to him.
15 Dripping constantly on a day of heavy rain
and a woman[f] of contention are alike.
16 In restraining her, he restrains wind,[g]
and his right hand will grasp oil[h].
17 As iron sharpens[i] iron,
so one man sharpens another.[j]
18 He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and he who guards his master[k] will be honored.
19 As the waters reflect face to face,[l]
so the heart of a person reflects the person.
20 Sheol[m] and Abaddon[n] will not be satisfied,
and the eyes of a person will not be satisfied either.
21 A crucible is for the silver, and a furnace for the gold,
but a man is tested by the mouth of him who praises him.
22 If you crush a fool in the mortar with the pestle along with[o] the crushed grain,
it will not drive folly from upon him.
23 You will surely know the condition[p] of your flock;
your heart[q] attends to the herds.
24 For riches are not forever,
nor a crown for generation after generation.
25 When the grass is gone, then green growth will appear,
and the herbs of the mountains will be gathered.
26 Lambs will be your clothing,
and goats the price of the field.
27 And there will be enough goats’ milk for your food,
for the food of your household and the nourishment[r] of your maidservants.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 27:1 Literally “on the day of tomorrow”
- Proverbs 27:7 Literally “soul”
- Proverbs 27:7 Literally “soul”
- Proverbs 27:9 Literally “because of advice of a person”
- Proverbs 27:13 Literally “a foreign woman”
- Proverbs 27:15 Or “wife”
- Proverbs 27:16 Or “breath, or “spirit”
- Proverbs 27:16 Or “fat”
- Proverbs 27:17 Or “is united with”
- Proverbs 27:17 Literally “a man sharpens the faces of his friend”
- Proverbs 27:18 Or “lord”
- Proverbs 27:19 Literally “the faces to the faces”
- Proverbs 27:20 A term for the place where the dead reside, i.e., the Underworld
- Proverbs 27:20 Poetic synonym for “Sheol.” Only mentioned in the ot in relation to Sheol, the grave, or death.
- Proverbs 27:22 Or “in the midst of”
- Proverbs 27:23 Literally “faces”
- Proverbs 27:23 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 27:27 Literally “life”
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