Proverbs 27

Do not boast about tomorrow,
    for you do not know what a day may bring.

Don’t brag about tomorrow.
    You don’t know what a day will bring.

Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;
    an outsider, and not your own lips.

Let another person praise you, and not your own mouth.
    Let an outsider praise you, and not your own lips.

Stone is heavy and sand a burden,
    but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

Stones are heavy, and sand weighs a lot.
    But letting a foolish person make you angry is a heavier load than both of them.

Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
    but who can stand before jealousy?

Anger is mean, and great anger overpowers you.
    But who can face jealousy?

Better is open rebuke
    than hidden love.

Being warned openly is better
    than being loved in secret.

Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
    but an enemy multiplies kisses.

Wounds from a friend can be trusted.
    But an enemy kisses you many times.

One who is full loathes honey from the comb,
    but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

When you are full, you even hate honey.
    When you are hungry, even what is bitter tastes sweet.

Like a bird that flees its nest
    is anyone who flees from home.

Anyone who runs away from home
    is like a bird that flies away from its nest.

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,
    and the pleasantness of a friend
    springs from their heartfelt advice.

Perfume and incense bring joy to your heart.
    And the sweetness of a friend comes from their honest advice.

Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,
    and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—
    better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.

Don’t desert your friend or a friend of your family.
    And don’t go to your relative’s house when trouble strikes you.
    A neighbor nearby is better than a relative far away.

Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart;
    then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.

My son, be wise and bring joy to my heart.
    Then I can answer anyone who makes fun of me.

The prudent see danger and take refuge,
    but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

Wise people see danger and go to a safe place.
    But childish people keep on going and suffer for it.

Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
    hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.

Take the coat of one who puts up money for what a stranger owes.
    Hold it until you get paid back if it is done for an outsider.

If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning,
    it will be taken as a curse.

Suppose you loudly bless your neighbor early in the morning.
    Then you might as well be cursing him.

A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping
    of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;

A nagging wife is like the dripping
    of a leaky roof in a rainstorm.

restraining her is like restraining the wind
    or grasping oil with the hand.

Stopping her is like trying to stop the wind.
    It’s like trying to grab olive oil with your hand.

As iron sharpens iron,
    so one person sharpens another.

As iron sharpens iron,
    so one person sharpens another.

The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit,
    and whoever protects their master will be honored.

A person who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit.
    And a person who protects their master will be honored.

As water reflects the face,
    so one’s life reflects the heart.^[a]

When you look into water, you see a likeness of your face.
    When you look into your heart, you see what you are really like.

Death and Destruction^[b] are never satisfied,
    and neither are human eyes.

Death and the Grave are never satisfied.
    People’s eyes are never satisfied either.

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
    but people are tested by their praise.

Fire tests silver, and heat tests gold.
    But people are tested by the praise they receive.

Though you grind a fool in a mortar,
    grinding them like grain with a pestle,
    you will not remove their folly from them.

Suppose you could grind a foolish person in a mill.
    Suppose you could grind them as you would grind grain with a tool.
    Even then you could not remove their foolishness from them.

Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
    give careful attention to your herds;

Be sure you know how your flocks are doing.
    Pay careful attention to your herds.

for riches do not endure forever,
    and a crown is not secure for all generations.

Riches don’t last forever.
    And a crown is not secure for all time to come.

When the hay is removed and new growth appears
    and the grass from the hills is gathered in,

The hay is removed, and new growth appears.
    The grass from the hills is gathered in.

the lambs will provide you with clothing,
    and the goats with the price of a field.

Then your lambs will provide you with clothes.
    And the money from selling your goats will buy you a field.

You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family
    and to nourish your female servants.