27 Don’t boast about tomorrow,
for you don’t know what a day might bring.(A)

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth—
a stranger, and not your own lips.(B)

A stone is heavy, and sand a burden,
but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.

Fury is cruel, and anger a flood,
but who can withstand jealousy?(C)

Better an open reprimand
than concealed love.(D)

The wounds of a friend are trustworthy,(E)
but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.(F)

A person who is full tramples on a honeycomb,(G)
but to a hungry person, any bitter thing is sweet.

Anyone wandering from his home
is like a bird wandering from its nest.(H)

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)

11 Be wise, my son, and bring my heart joy,(L)
so that I can answer anyone who taunts me.(M)

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.

20 Sheol and Abaddon(S) are never satisfied,(T)
and people’s eyes are never satisfied.(U)

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)

Footnotes

  1. 27:9 LXX reads heart, but the soul is torn up by affliction
  2. 27:13 Lit a foreign woman
  3. 27:17 Lit and a man sharpens his friend’s face

My Son, Be Wise

27 Do(A) not boast about tomorrow,
For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

(B)Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.

A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,
But a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them.

Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent,
But (C)who is able to stand before jealousy?

(D)Open rebuke is better
Than love carefully concealed.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But the kisses of an enemy are (E)deceitful.

A satisfied soul [a]loathes the honeycomb,
But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

Like a bird that wanders from its nest
Is a man who wanders from his place.

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.

20 (K)Hell[e] and [f]Destruction are never full;
So (L)the eyes of man are never satisfied.

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

  1. Proverbs 27:7 tramples on
  2. Proverbs 27:9 Lit. counsel of the soul
  3. Proverbs 27:16 Lit. hides
  4. Proverbs 27:18 protects or tends
  5. Proverbs 27:20 Or Sheol
  6. Proverbs 27:20 Heb. Abaddon

27 不要为明天夸口,
    因为你不知明天会怎样。
让别人夸奖你,不要开口自夸;
    让外人称赞你,不要自吹自擂。
石头沉,沙土重,
    不如愚人惹的麻烦重。
暴怒固然残酷,
    愤恨好比狂澜,
    然而嫉妒更是无人能敌。
开诚布公的责备胜过隐藏的爱。
朋友加的创伤出自真诚,
    仇敌连连亲吻却是多余。
饱足的人连蜂蜜也嫌弃,
    饥饿的人吃苦食也甘甜。
离乡背井的人就像离巢的飞鸟。
膏油和香料使人畅快,
    朋友的劝诫更加甘甜。
10 不可抛弃你的朋友和父亲的至交。
    患难时别投靠兄弟,
    近邻胜过远亲。
11 孩子啊,你要做智者,
    使我的心喜乐,
    我好回答讥笑我的人。
12 明哲人遇祸躲避,
    愚昧人前去受害。
13 谁为陌生人作保,
    就拿谁的衣服;
    谁为淫妇作保,
    谁就得交抵押。
14 清早高声为邻舍祝福,
    无异于咒诅他。
15 喋喋不休的妇人,
    就像雨天房屋漏个不停;
16 想制止她犹如制止狂风,
    又像用手抓油一样困难。
17 朋友互相切磋,
如铁磨铁越磨越利。
18 看无花果树的吃无花果,
    照顾主人的也必得尊荣。
19 水能映照人的面貌,
    心能反映人的本相。
20 阴间和死亡填不满,
    人的眼目永不满足。
21 鼎炼银,炉炼金,
    赞美也考验人。
22 就算把愚人放在臼里与麦子一起捣碎,
    他仍然难脱愚昧。
23 你要了解你的羊群,
    小心照料你的牲畜。
24 因为钱财有用尽时,
    冠冕不能万代长存。
25 干草割去,嫩草长出,
    山间的野草都被收起来。
26 小羊的皮毛可做衣服,
    卖山羊的钱可买田地,
27 母山羊的奶足够你和家人喝,
    也够养活你的仆婢。

27 Do not boast(A) about tomorrow,
    for you do not know what a day may bring.(B)

Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;
    an outsider, and not your own lips.(C)

Stone is heavy and sand(D) a burden,
    but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
    but who can stand before jealousy?(E)

Better is open rebuke
    than hidden love.

Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
    but an enemy multiplies kisses.(F)

One who is full loathes honey from the comb,
    but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

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

Perfume(H) 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(I) strikes you—
    better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.

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

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

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

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(N)
    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,(O)
    and whoever protects their master will be honored.(P)

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

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

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

23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,(T)
    give careful attention to your herds;
24 for riches do not endure forever,(U)
    and a crown is not secure for all generations.
25 When the hay is removed and new growth appears
    and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
26 the lambs will provide you with clothing,
    and the goats with the price of a field.
27 You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family
    and to nourish your female servants.

Footnotes

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