Proverbs 27, side by side

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

¹Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

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

²Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

³A stone is heavy and sand is a burden, but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.

³A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both.

⁴Wrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?

⁴Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

⁵Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed.

⁵Open rebuke is better than secret love.

⁶The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

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

⁷The soul that is full loathes honey, but to a hungry soul, any bitter thing is sweet.

⁷The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

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

⁸As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.

⁹Oil and incense bring joy to the heart, and the sweetness of a friend is counsel to the soul.

⁹Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.

¹⁰Do not forsake your friend or your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

¹⁰Thine 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.

¹¹Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, so that I can answer him who taunts me.

¹¹My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.

¹²The prudent see danger and take cover; but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

¹²A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

¹³Take the garment of him who posts security for a stranger; get collateral if it is for a foreigner.

¹³Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

¹⁴If one blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be counted to him as a curse.

¹⁴He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.

¹⁵A constant dripping on a rainy day and a contentious woman are alike—

¹⁵A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.

¹⁶restraining her is like holding back the wind or grasping oil with one’s right hand.

¹⁶Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.

¹⁷As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

¹⁷Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

¹⁸Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored.

¹⁸Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.

¹⁹As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the true man.

¹⁹As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.

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

²⁰Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

²¹A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but a man is tested by the praise accorded him.

²¹As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.

²²Though you grind a fool like grain with mortar and a pestle, yet his folly will not depart from him.

²²Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

²³Be sure to know the state of your flocks, and pay close attention to your herds;

²³Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.

²⁴for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to every generation.

²⁴For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?

²⁵When hay is removed and new growth appears and the grain from the hills is gathered,

²⁵The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.

²⁶the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field.

²⁶The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.

²⁷You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed you— food for your household and nourishment for your maidservants.

²⁷And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.