Proverbs 27
New American Standard Bible
Warnings and Instructions
27 (A)Do not boast about tomorrow,
For you (B)do not know what a day may bring.
2 Let (C)another praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.
3 A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,
But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.
4 Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood,
But (D)who can stand before jealousy?
5 Better is (E)open rebuke
Than love that is concealed.
6 Faithful are the (F)wounds of a friend,
But [a]deceitful are the (G)kisses of an enemy.
7 A satisfied [b]person [c]despises honey,
But to a hungry [d]person any bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a (H)bird that wanders from its nest,
So is a person who (I)wanders from his [e]home.
9 (J)Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
And a [f]person’s advice is sweet to his friend.
10 Do not abandon your (K)friend or (L)your father’s friend,
And do not go to your brother’s house on the day of your disaster;
Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.
11 (M)Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,
So that I may (N)reply to one who taunts me.
12 A prudent person sees evil and hides himself;
But the naive proceed, and pay the penalty.
13 (O)Take his garment when he becomes a guarantor for a stranger;
And for a foreign woman seize a pledge from him.
14 (P)One who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning,
It will be considered a curse to him.
15 A (Q)constant dripping on a day of steady rain
And a contentious woman are alike;
16 He who would [g]restrain her [h]restrains the wind,
And [i]grasps oil with his right hand.
17 As iron sharpens iron,
So one person sharpens another.
18 One who tends the (R)fig tree will eat its fruit,
And one who (S)cares for his master will be honored.
19 As in water a face reflects the face,
So the heart of a person reflects the person.
20 [j](T)Sheol and [k]Abaddon are (U)never satisfied,
Nor are the (V)eyes of a person ever satisfied.
21 The (W)crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold,
And each (X)is tested by the praise accorded him.
22 Though you (Y)pound the fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,
His foolishness still will not leave him.
23 (Z)Know well the [l]condition of your flocks,
And pay attention to your herds;
24 For riches are not forever,
Nor does a (AA)crown endure to all generations.
25 When the grass disappears, the new growth is seen,
And the herbs of the mountains are (AB)gathered in,
26 The lambs will be for your clothing,
And the goats will bring the price of a field,
27 And there will be enough goats’ milk for your food,
For the food of your household,
And sustenance for your attendants.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 27:6 Or excessive
- Proverbs 27:7 Lit soul
- Proverbs 27:7 Lit tramples on
- Proverbs 27:7 Lit soul
- Proverbs 27:8 Lit place
- Proverbs 27:9 Lit soul’s
- Proverbs 27:16 Lit hide(s)
- Proverbs 27:16 Lit hide(s)
- Proverbs 27:16 Lit encounters
- Proverbs 27:20 I.e., The netherworld
- Proverbs 27:20 I.e., the place of destruction
- Proverbs 27:23 Lit face
Proverbs 27
Amplified Bible
Warnings and Instructions
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.
3
Stone is heavy and the sand weighty,
But a fool’s [unreasonable] wrath is heavier and more burdensome than both of them.
4
Wrath is cruel and anger is an overwhelming flood,
But who is able to endure and stand before [the sin of] jealousy?
5
Better is an open reprimand [of loving correction]
Than love that is hidden.(B)
6
Faithful are the wounds of a friend [who corrects out of love and concern],
But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful [because they serve his hidden agenda].
7
He who is satisfied loathes honey,
But to the hungry soul any bitter thing is sweet.
8
Like a bird that wanders from her nest [with its comfort and safety],
So is a man who wanders from his home.
9
Oil and perfume make the heart glad;
So does the sweetness of a friend’s counsel that comes from the heart.
10
Do not abandon your own friend and your father’s friend,
And do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster.
Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.
11
My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,
That I may reply to him who reproaches (reprimands, criticizes) me.(C)
12
A prudent man sees evil and hides himself and avoids it,
But the naive [who are easily misled] continue on and are punished [by suffering the consequences of sin].(D)
13
[The judge tells the creditor,] “Take the garment of one who is surety (guarantees a loan) for a stranger;
And hold him in pledge when he is surety for an immoral woman [for it is unlikely the debt will be repaid].”(E)
14
He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning,
It will be counted as a curse to him [for it will either be annoying or his purpose will be suspect].
15
A constant dripping on a day of steady rain
And a contentious (quarrelsome) woman are alike;(F)
16
Whoever attempts to restrain her [criticism] might as well try to stop the wind,
And grasps oil with his right hand.
17
As iron sharpens iron,
So one man sharpens [and influences] another [through discussion].
18
He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit,
And he who faithfully protects and cares for his master will be honored.(G)
19
As in water face reflects face,
So the heart of man reflects man.
20
Sheol (the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the underworld) are never satisfied;
Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.(H)
21
The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold [to separate the impurities of the metal],
And each is tested by the praise given to him [and his response to it, whether humble or proud].
22
Even though you pound a [hardened, arrogant] fool [who rejects wisdom] in a mortar with a pestle like grain,
Yet his foolishness will not leave him.
23
Be diligent to know the condition of your flocks,
And pay attention to your herds;
24
For riches are not forever,
Nor does a crown endure to all generations.
25
When the grass is gone, the new growth is seen,
And herbs of the mountain are gathered in,
26
The lambs will supply wool for your clothing,
And the goats will bring the price of a field.
27
And there will be enough goats’ milk for your food,
For the food of your household,
And for the maintenance of your maids.
Proverbs 27
Easy-to-Read Version
27 Never brag about what you will do in the future; you have no idea what tomorrow will bring.
2 Never praise yourself. Let others do it.
3 A stone is heavy, and sand is hard to carry, but the irritation caused by a fool is much harder to bear.
4 Anger is cruel and can destroy like a flood, but jealousy is much worse.
5 Open criticism is better than hidden love.
6 You can trust what your friend says, even when it hurts. But your enemies want to hurt you, even when they act nice.
7 When you are full, you will not even eat honey. When you are hungry, even something bitter tastes sweet.
8 A man away from home is like a bird away from its nest.
9 Perfume and incense make you feel good, and so does good advice from a friend.
10 Don’t forget your own friends or your father’s friends. If you have a problem, go to your neighbor for help. It is better to ask a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.
11 My son, be wise. This will make me happy. Then I will be able to answer those who criticize me.
12 Wise people see trouble coming and get out of its way, but fools go straight to the trouble and suffer for it.
13 When you make a deal with a stranger, get something from him and any other foreigners with him to make sure he will pay you.
14 Don’t wake up your neighbors early in the morning with a shout of “Good morning!” They will treat it like a curse, not a blessing.
15 A complaining wife is like water that never stops dripping on a rainy day. 16 Stopping her is like trying to stop the wind or trying to hold oil in your hand.
17 As one piece of iron sharpens another, so friends keep each other sharp.
18 People who take care of fig trees are allowed to eat the fruit. In the same way, people who take care of their masters will be rewarded.
19 Just as you can see your own face reflected in water, so your heart reflects the kind of person you are.
20 Just as the place of death and destruction is never full, people always want more and more.
21 People use fire to purify gold and silver. In the same way, you are tested by the praise people give you.
22 Even if you pound fools to powder like grain in a bowl, you will never force the foolishness out of them.
23 Learn all you can about your sheep. Take care of your goats the best you can. 24 Neither wealth nor nations last forever. 25 Cut the hay, and new grass will grow. Then gather the new plants that grow on the hills. 26 Cut the wool from your lambs, and make your clothes. Sell some of your goats, and buy some land. 27 Then there will be plenty of goat’s milk for you and your family, with enough to keep the servants healthy.
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