Proverbs, 27

1. Do not congratulate yourself about tomorrow, since you do not know what today will bring forth.

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

2. Let someone else sing your praises, but not your own mouth, a stranger, but not your own lips.

2. Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

3. Heavy is the stone, weighty is the sand; heavier than both -- a grudge borne by a fool.

3. A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool's provocation is heavier than both.

4. Cruel is wrath, overwhelming is anger; but jealousy, who can withstand that?

4. Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming; but who can stand before jealousy?

5. Better open reproof than feigned love.

5. Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

6. Trustworthy are blows from a friend, deceitful are kisses from a foe.

6. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

7. The gorged throat revolts at honey, the hungry throat finds all bitterness sweet.

7. He who is sated loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.

8. Like a bird that strays from its nest, so is anyone who strays away from home.

8. Like a bird that strays from its nest, is a man who strays from his home.

9. Oil and perfume gladden the heart, and the sweetness of friendship rather than self-reliance.

9. Oil and perfume make the heart glad, but the soul is torn by trouble.

10. Do not give up your friend or your father's friend; when trouble comes, do not go off to your brother's house, better a near neighbour than a distant brother.

10. Your friend, and your father's friend, do not forsake; 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. Learn to be wise, my child, and gladden my heart, that I may have an answer for anyone who insults me.

11. Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him who reproaches me.

12. The discreet sees danger and takes shelter, simpletons go ahead and pay the penalty.

12. A prudent man sees danger and hides himself; but the simple go on, and suffer for it.

13. Take the man's clothes! He has gone surety for a stranger. Take a pledge from him, for persons unknown.

13. Take a man's garment when he has given surety for a stranger, and hold him in pledge when he gives surety for foreigners.

14. Whoever at dawn loudly blesses his neighbour -- it will be reckoned to him as a curse.

14. He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing.

15. The dripping of a gutter on a rainy day and a quarrelsome woman are alike;

15. A continual dripping on a rainy day and a contentious woman are alike;

16. whoever can restrain her, can restrain the wind, and take a firm hold on grease.

16. to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp oil in his right hand.

17. Iron is sharpened by iron, one person is sharpened by contact with another.

17. Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

18. Whoever tends the fig tree eats its figs, whoever looks after his master will be honoured.

18. He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored.

19. As water reflects face back to face, so one human heart reflects another.

19. As in water face answers to face, so the mind of man reflects the man.

20. Sheol and Perdition are never satisfied, insatiable, too, are human eyes.

20. Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man.

21. A furnace for silver, a foundry for gold: a person is worth what his reputation is worth.

21. The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is judged by his praise.

22. Pound a fool in a mortar, among grain with a pestle, his folly will not leave him.

22. Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his folly will not depart from him.

23. Know your flocks' condition well, take good care of your herds;

23. Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds;

24. for riches do not last for ever, crowns do not hand themselves on from age to age.

24. for riches do not last for ever; and does a crown endure to all generations?

25. The grass once gone, the aftergrowth appearing, the hay gathered in from the mountains,

25. When the grass is gone, and the new growth appears, and the herbage of the mountains is gathered,

26. you should have lambs to clothe you, goats to buy you a field,

26. the lambs will provide your clothing, and the goats the price of a field;

27. goat's milk sufficient to feed you, to feed your household and provide for your serving girls.

27. there will be enough goats' milk for your food, for the food of your household and maintenance for your maidens.