Proverbs 27

1  Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring.
2  Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
a stranger, and not your own lips.
3  A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,
but a fool's provocation is heavier than both.
4  Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy?
5  Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
6  Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
7  One who is full loathes honey,
but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.
8  Like a bird that strays from its nest
is a man who strays from his home.
9  Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.t
10  Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend,
and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity.
Better is a neighbor who is near
than a brother who is far away.
11  Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,
that I may answer him who reproaches me.
12  The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.
13  Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.t
14  Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,
rising early in the morning,
will be counted as cursing.
15  A continual dripping on a rainy day
and a quarrelsome wife are alike;
16  to restrain her is to restrain the wind
or to graspt oil in one's right hand.
17  Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.t
18  Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and he who guards his master will be honored.
19  As in water face reflects face,
so the heart of man reflects the man.
20  Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
and never satisfied are the eyes of man.
21  The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
and a man is tested by his praise.
22  Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
along with crushed grain,
yet his folly will not depart from him.

23  Know well the condition of your flocks,
and give attention to your herds,
24  for riches do not last forever;
and does a crown endure to all generations?
25  When the grass is gone and the new growth appears
and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,
26  the lambs will provide your clothing,
and the goats the price of a field.
27  There will be enough goats' milk for your food,
for the food of your household
and maintenance for your girls.

Proverbs 27

Don't boast about tomorrow

1 Don't boast about tomorrow!t
Each day brings
its own surprises.

2 Don't boast about yourself—
let others praise you.

3 Stones and sand are heavy,
but trouble caused by a fool
is a much heavier load.

4 An angry person is dangerous,
but a jealous person
is even worse.

5 A truly good friend
will openly correct you.

6 You can trust a friend
who corrects you,
but kisses from an enemy
are nothing but lies.

7 If you have had enough to eat,
honey doesn't taste good,
but if you are really hungry,
you will eat anything.

8 When you are far from home,
you feel like a bird
without a nest.

9 The sweet smell of incense
can make you feel good,
but true friendship
is better still.t

10 Don't desert an old friend
of your family
or visit your relatives
when you are in trouble.
A friend nearby is better
than relatives far away.

11 My child, show good sense!
Then I will be happy
and able to answer anyone
who criticizes me.

12 Be cautious and hide
when you see danger—
don't be stupid and walk
right into trouble.

13 Don't loan money to a stranger
unless you are given something
to guarantee payment.

14 A loud greeting
early in the morning
is the same as a curse.

15 The steady dripping of rain
and the nagging of a wife
are one and the same.

16 It's easier to catch the wind
or hold olive oil in your hand
than to stop a nagging wife.

17 Just as iron sharpens iron,
friends sharpen the minds
of each other.

18 Take care of a tree,
and you will eat its fruit;
look after your master,
and you will be praised.

19 You see your face in a mirror
and your thoughts
in the minds of others.

20 Death and the grave
are never satisfied,
and neither are we.

21 Gold and silver are tested
in a red-hot furnace,
but we are tested by praise.

22 No matter how hard
you beat a fool,
you can't pound out
the foolishness.

23 You should take good care
of your sheep and goats,

24 because wealth and honour
don't last for ever.

25 After the hay is cut
and the new growth appears
and the harvest is over,

26 you can sell lambs and goats
to buy clothes and land.

27 From the milk of the goats,
you can make enough cheese
to feed your family
and all your servants.