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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.

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