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27 Don’t boast about tomorrow;
    for you don’t know what a day may bring.
Let another man praise you,
    and not your own mouth;
    a stranger, and not your own lips.
A stone is heavy,
    and sand is a burden;
    but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
Wrath is cruel,
    and anger is overwhelming;
    but who is able to stand before jealousy?
Better is open rebuke
    than hidden love.
The wounds of a friend are faithful,
    although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.
A full soul loathes a honeycomb;
    but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.
As a bird that wanders from her nest,
    so is a man who wanders from his home.
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart;
    so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.
10 Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend.
    Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster.
    A neighbor who is near is better than a distant brother.
11 Be wise, my son,
    and bring joy to my heart,
    then I can answer my tormentor.
12 A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge;
    but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
13 Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger.
    Hold it for a wayward woman!
14 He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning,
    it will be taken as a curse by him.
15 A continual dropping on a rainy day
    and a contentious wife are alike:
16 restraining her is like restraining the wind,
    or like grasping oil in his right hand.

17 Iron sharpens iron;
    so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.
18 Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit.
    He who looks after his master shall be honored.
19 Like water reflects a face,
    so a man’s heart reflects the man.
20 Sheol[a] and Abaddon are never satisfied;
    and a man’s eyes are never satisfied.
21 The crucible is for silver,
    and the furnace for gold;
    but man is refined by his praise.
22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain,
    yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.

23 Know well the state of your flocks,
    and pay attention to your herds:
24 for riches are not forever,
    nor does the crown endure to all generations.
25 The hay is removed, and the new growth appears,
    the grasses of the hills are gathered in.
26 The lambs are for your clothing,
    and the goats are the price of a field.
27 There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food,
    for your family’s food,
    and for the nourishment of your servant girls.

Footnotes

  1. 27:20 Sheol is the place of the dead.

Warnings and Instructions

27 (A)Do not boast about tomorrow,
For you (B)do not know what a day may bring.
Let (C)another praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.
A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,
But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.
Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood,
But (D)who can stand before jealousy?
Better is (E)open rebuke
Than love that is concealed.
Faithful are the (F)wounds of a friend,
But [a]deceitful are the (G)kisses of an enemy.
A satisfied [b]person [c]despises honey,
But to a hungry [d]person any bitter thing is sweet.
Like a (H)bird that wanders from its nest,
So is a person who (I)wanders from his [e]home.
(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

  1. Proverbs 27:6 Or excessive
  2. Proverbs 27:7 Lit soul
  3. Proverbs 27:7 Lit tramples on
  4. Proverbs 27:7 Lit soul
  5. Proverbs 27:8 Lit place
  6. Proverbs 27:9 Lit soul’s
  7. Proverbs 27:16 Lit hide(s)
  8. Proverbs 27:16 Lit hide(s)
  9. Proverbs 27:16 Lit encounters
  10. Proverbs 27:20 I.e., The netherworld
  11. Proverbs 27:20 I.e., the place of destruction
  12. Proverbs 27:23 Lit face