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.

The Righteous Are Bold as a Lion

28 The (Q)wicked flee when no one pursues,
But the righteous are bold as a lion.

Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes;
But by a man of understanding and knowledge
Right will be prolonged.

(R)A poor man who oppresses the poor
Is like a driving rain [g]which leaves no food.

(S)Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
(T)But such as keep the law contend with them.

(U)Evil men do not understand justice,
But (V)those who seek the Lord understand all.

Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son,
But a companion of gluttons shames his father.

One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion
Gathers it for him who will pity the poor.

One who turns away his ear from hearing the law,
(W)Even his prayer is an abomination.

10 (X)Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way,
He himself will fall into his own pit;
(Y)But the blameless will inherit good.

11 The rich man is wise in his own eyes,
But the poor who has understanding searches him out.

12 When the righteous rejoice, there is great (Z)glory;
But when the wicked arise, men [h]hide themselves.

13 (AA)He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

14 Happy is the man who is always reverent,
But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

15 (AB)Like a roaring lion and a charging bear
(AC)Is a wicked ruler over poor people.

16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a great (AD)oppressor,
But he who hates covetousness will prolong his days.

17 (AE)A man burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit;
Let no one help him.

18 Whoever walks blamelessly will be [i]saved,
But he who is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.

19 (AF)He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,
But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!

20 A faithful man will abound with blessings,
(AG)But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

21 (AH)To [j]show partiality is not good,
(AI)Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress.

22 A man with an evil eye hastens after riches,
And does not consider that (AJ)poverty will come upon him.

23 (AK)He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward
Than he who flatters with the tongue.

24 Whoever robs his father or his mother,
And says, “It is no transgression,”
The same (AL)is companion to a destroyer.

25 (AM)He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife,
(AN)But he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered.

26 He who (AO)trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

27 (AP)He who gives to the poor will not lack,
But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.

28 When the wicked arise, (AQ)men hide themselves;
But when they perish, the righteous increase.

Notas al pie

  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
  7. Proverbs 28:3 Lit. and there is no bread
  8. Proverbs 28:12 Lit. will be searched for
  9. Proverbs 28:18 delivered
  10. Proverbs 28:21 Lit. recognize faces

27 Don’t brag about tomorrow,
    since you don’t know what the day will bring.

Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth—
    a stranger, not your own lips.

A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,
    but the resentment caused by a fool is even heavier.

Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood,
    but jealousy is even more dangerous.

An open rebuke
    is better than hidden love!

Wounds from a sincere friend
    are better than many kisses from an enemy.

A person who is full refuses honey,
    but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry.

A person who strays from home
    is like a bird that strays from its nest.

The heartfelt counsel of a friend
    is as sweet as perfume and incense.

10 Never abandon a friend—
    either yours or your father’s.
When disaster strikes, you won’t have to ask your brother for assistance.
    It’s better to go to a neighbor than to a brother who lives far away.

11 Be wise, my child,[a] and make my heart glad.
    Then I will be able to answer my critics.

12 A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
    The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

13 Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger’s debt.
    Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners.[b]

14 A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning
    will be taken as a curse!

15 A quarrelsome wife is as annoying
    as constant dripping on a rainy day.
16 Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the wind
    or trying to hold something with greased hands.

17 As iron sharpens iron,
    so a friend sharpens a friend.

18 As workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat the fruit,
    so workers who protect their employer’s interests will be rewarded.

19 As a face is reflected in water,
    so the heart reflects the real person.

20 Just as Death and Destruction[c] are never satisfied,
    so human desire is never satisfied.

21 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold,
    but a person is tested by being praised.[d]

22 You cannot separate fools from their foolishness,
    even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle.

23 Know the state of your flocks,
    and put your heart into caring for your herds,
24 for riches don’t last forever,
    and the crown might not be passed to the next generation.
25 After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears
    and the mountain grasses are gathered in,
26 your sheep will provide wool for clothing,
    and your goats will provide the price of a field.
27 And you will have enough goats’ milk for yourself,
    your family, and your servant girls.

28 The wicked run away when no one is chasing them,
    but the godly are as bold as lions.

When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily.
    But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.

A poor person who oppresses the poor
    is like a pounding rain that destroys the crops.

To reject the law is to praise the wicked;
    to obey the law is to fight them.

Evil people don’t understand justice,
    but those who follow the Lord understand completely.

Better to be poor and honest
    than to be dishonest and rich.

Young people who obey the law are wise;
    those with wild friends bring shame to their parents.[e]

Income from charging high interest rates
    will end up in the pocket of someone who is kind to the poor.

God detests the prayers
    of a person who ignores the law.

10 Those who lead good people along an evil path
    will fall into their own trap,
    but the honest will inherit good things.

11 Rich people may think they are wise,
    but a poor person with discernment can see right through them.

12 When the godly succeed, everyone is glad.
    When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding.

13 People who conceal their sins will not prosper,
    but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.

14 Blessed are those who fear to do wrong,[f]
    but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble.

15 A wicked ruler is as dangerous to the poor
    as a roaring lion or an attacking bear.

16 A ruler with no understanding will oppress his people,
    but one who hates corruption will have a long life.

17 A murderer’s tormented conscience will drive him into the grave.
    Don’t protect him!

18 The blameless will be rescued from harm,
    but the crooked will be suddenly destroyed.

19 A hard worker has plenty of food,
    but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty.

20 The trustworthy person will get a rich reward,
    but a person who wants quick riches will get into trouble.

21 Showing partiality is never good,
    yet some will do wrong for a mere piece of bread.

22 Greedy people try to get rich quick
    but don’t realize they’re headed for poverty.

23 In the end, people appreciate honest criticism
    far more than flattery.

24 Anyone who steals from his father and mother
    and says, “What’s wrong with that?”
    is no better than a murderer.

25 Greed causes fighting;
    trusting the Lord leads to prosperity.

26 Those who trust their own insight are foolish,
    but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.

27 Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing,
    but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.

28 When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding.
    When the wicked meet disaster, the godly flourish.

Notas al pie

  1. 27:11 Hebrew my son.
  2. 27:13 As in Greek and Latin versions (see also 20:16); Hebrew reads for a promiscuous woman.
  3. 27:20 Hebrew Sheol and Abaddon.
  4. 27:21 Or by flattery.
  5. 28:7 Hebrew their father.
  6. 28:14 Or those who fear the Lord; Hebrew reads those who fear.