27 Do not boast about what you will do tomorrow.
You do not know what might happen.
2 Let other people praise you.
Do not boast about yourself.
3 A stone is heavy to carry and sand also weighs a lot.
But the silly acts of a fool give more pain than both of those.
4 An angry person does cruel things that can destroy people.
But a jealous person is much worse.
5 When a friend is not afraid to warn you that you are wrong,
it shows that he really loves you.
6 You can trust a friend when he says things that hurt you.
But when an enemy kisses you, he is deceiving you.
7 A person who has eaten enough food will refuse honey.
But even bitter food seems sweet to a hungry person.
8 A person who travels away from his home
is like a bird that flies away from its nest.
9 Beautiful oil and perfume may give you joy.
But good advice from a friend is even better.
10 Do not forget your friends or your father's friends.
If you are in trouble, do not ask your relatives to help you.
A friend who is a neighbour will be more help than a relative who lives far away.
11 My son, if you are wise, I will be happy.
I will be able to answer anyone who insults me.
12 A careful person can see danger and he will hide himself.
But a silly person never stops, and he walks into trouble.
13 If someone promises to pay the debts of a stranger,
take his coat as a guarantee that he will pay.
14 If you shout a blessing to your neighbour early in the morning,
he will think it is no better than a curse.
15 A wife who is always arguing with you
is as bad as rain that never stops falling.
16 Can you catch the wind? Can you hold oil in your hand?
No! And you cannot keep that woman quiet.
17 People learn from each other,
as one iron tool can make another one sharp.
18 If you take care of a fig tree, it will give you fruit to eat.
If you take care of your master, he will give you honour.
19 A man can see his face in a mirror.
But his thoughts show what he is really like.
20 The deep hole of death always wants more dead people to fill it.
In the same way, a person wants to have everything that he sees.
21 You need a hot fire to see if silver and gold are pure.
In the same way, when people praise you,
they can see what you are really like.
22 Even if you beat a fool with a big stick, as hard as you beat grain,
you will never remove all his silly ideas.
23 Always take care of your sheep and your goats, as well as your cows. 24 Your riches will not be there for ever. One family does not rule a kingdom for ever. 25 One day you will cut the grass in your fields and then new grass will grow. You will store the grass that has grown on the hills. 26 Then you will use the wool from your sheep to make clothes. You make clothes from your sheep's wool. You will sell your goats, and you will buy a field. 27 You will have enough milk from your goats to feed yourself, your family and your female servants. [ a ]
27 Never brag about what you will do in the future; you have no idea what tomorrow will bring.
2 Never praise yourself. Let others do it.
3 A stone is heavy, and sand is hard to carry, but the irritation caused by a fool is much harder to bear.
4 Anger is cruel and can destroy like a flood, but jealousy is much worse.
5 Open criticism is better than hidden love.
6 You can trust what your friend says, even when it hurts. But your enemies want to hurt you, even when they act nice.
7 When you are full, you will not even eat honey. When you are hungry, even something bitter tastes sweet.
8 A man away from home is like a bird away from its nest.
9 Perfume and incense make you feel good, and so does good advice from a friend.
10 Don’t forget your own friends or your father’s friends. If you have a problem, go to your neighbor for help. It is better to ask a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.
11 My son, be wise. This will make me happy. Then I will be able to answer those who criticize me.
12 Wise people see trouble coming and get out of its way, but fools go straight to the trouble and suffer for it.
13 When you make a deal with a stranger, get something from him and any other foreigners with him to make sure he will pay you.
14 Don’t wake up your neighbors early in the morning with a shout of “Good morning!” They will treat it like a curse, not a blessing.
15 A complaining wife is like water that never stops dripping on a rainy day. 16 Stopping her is like trying to stop the wind or trying to hold oil in your hand.
17 As one piece of iron sharpens another, so friends keep each other sharp.
18 People who take care of fig trees are allowed to eat the fruit. In the same way, people who take care of their masters will be rewarded.
19 Just as you can see your own face reflected in water, so your heart reflects the kind of person you are.
20 Just as the place of death and destruction is never full, people always want more and more.
21 People use fire to purify gold and silver. In the same way, you are tested by the praise people give you.
22 Even if you pound fools to powder like grain in a bowl, you will never force the foolishness out of them.
23 Learn all you can about your sheep. Take care of your goats the best you can. 24 Neither wealth nor nations last forever. 25 Cut the hay, and new grass will grow. Then gather the new plants that grow on the hills. 26 Cut the wool from your lambs, and make your clothes. Sell some of your goats, and buy some land. 27 Then there will be plenty of goat’s milk for you and your family, with enough to keep the servants healthy.
27 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.
4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?
5 Open rebuke is better than secret love.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.
9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.
10 Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.
11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.
12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.
13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.
15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.
16 Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.
17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
19 As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.
20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
21 As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.
22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.
24 For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?
25 The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.
26 The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.
27 And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.
27 ( A ) Do not boast about tomorrow,
For you ( B ) do not know what a day may bring.
2 Let ( C ) another praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.
3 A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,
But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.
4 Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood,
But ( D ) who can stand before jealousy?
5 Better is ( E ) open rebuke
Than love that is concealed.
6 Faithful are the ( F ) wounds of a friend,
But [ a ] deceitful are the ( G ) kisses of an enemy.
7 A satisfied [ b ] person [ c ] despises honey,
But to a hungry [ d ] person any bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a ( H ) bird that wanders from its nest,
So is a person who ( I ) wanders from his [ e ] home.
9 ( 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.
2 Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;
an outsider, and not your own lips. ( C )
3 Stone is heavy and sand ( D ) a burden,
but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy? ( E )
5 Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
but an enemy multiplies kisses. ( F )
7 One who is full loathes honey from the comb,
but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.
8 Like a bird that flees its nest ( G )
is anyone who flees from home.
9 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 ]
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.
