Proverbs 27 | King James Version

King James Version

1 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' 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' friend by hearty counsel. 10 Thine own friend, and thy father' friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother' 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.

New International Reader’s Version

1 Don’t boast about tomorrow. You don’t know what a day will bring. 2 Let another person praise you, and not your own mouth. Let an outsider praise you, and not your own lips. 3 Stones are heavy, and sand weighs a lot. But letting a foolish person make you angry is a heavier load than both of them. 4 Anger is mean, and great anger overpowers you. But who can face jealousy? 5 Being warned openly is better than being loved in secret. 6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted. But an enemy kisses you many times. 7 When you are full, you even hate honey. When you are hungry, even what is bitter tastes sweet. 8 Anyone who runs away from home is like a bird that flies away from its nest. 9 Perfume and incense bring joy to your heart. And the sweetness of a friend comes from their honest advice. 10 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 neighbour nearby is better than a relative far away. 11 My son, be wise and bring joy to my heart. Then I can answer anyone who makes fun of me. 12 Wise people see danger and go to a safe place. But childish people keep on going and suffer for it. 13 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. 14 Suppose you loudly bless your neighbour early in the morning. Then you might as well be cursing him. 15 A nagging wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm. 16 Stopping her is like trying to stop the wind. It’s like trying to grab olive oil with your hand. 17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. 18 A person who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit. And a person who protects their master will be honoured. 19 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. 20 Death and the Grave are never satisfied. People’s eyes are never satisfied either. 21 Fire tests silver, and heat tests gold. But people are tested by the praise they receive. 22 Suppose you could grind a foolish person in a mill. Suppose you could grind them as you would grind corn with a tool. Even then you could not remove their foolishness from them. 23 Be sure you know how your flocks are doing. Pay careful attention to your herds. 24 Riches don’t last for ever. And a crown is not secure for all time to come. 25 The hay is removed, and new growth appears. The grass from the hills is gathered in. 26 Then your lambs will provide you with clothes. And the money from selling your goats will buy you a field. 27 You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family. It will also feed your female servants.