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

23 (I)Know well the condition of your flocks,
    and (J)give attention to your herds,

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 27:16 Hebrew to meet with
  2. Proverbs 27:17 Hebrew sharpens the face of another

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