Proverbs 27

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

Don't brag about tomorrow, you never know what it might bring.

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

Let others sing your praises, not your own voice; let it be a stranger, not your own words.

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

A rock may be heavy, and sand burdensome, but the anger of a fool is the heaviest burden of all.

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

Cruelty is the nature of wrath, and anger is wildly uncontrollable; yet, who can withstand the destructive force of jealousy?

Open rebuke is better than secret love.

It's more beneficial to face honest criticism than to harbor hidden affection.

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

A true friend's criticism may hurt, but an enemy's flattery is a lie.

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

A satisfied heart shuns even the sweetest honey; but for the starving spirit, even the sourest morsel tastes sweet.

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

Just as a bird feels lost and vulnerable when it strays from its nest, so too does a person feel unsettled and out of place when they stray from their home or comfort zone.

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

Fragrance and lotion uplift the spirit, just as the tender advice of a true friend brings joy to the heart.

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.

Never abandon your friends or your parents' friends. Don't run to your sibling's home when trouble strikes; a nearby friend can be more helpful than a distant sibling.

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

My child, embrace wisdom, it will fill my heart with joy and give me strength to respond to those who criticize me.

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

A wise person anticipates danger and takes precautions; the naive continue blindly and suffer the consequences.

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

Seize the clothing of one who guarantees a stranger's debt, and hold it as collateral if it's for a foreign woman.

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

If you wake your friend up early in the morning with a loud blessing, it might be taken as a curse instead.

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

Just as the relentless rain on a stormy day can wear you down, so can a constantly arguing woman.

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

Anyone trying to hide her is like trying to hold the wind, and her secrets are as obvious as the scent of the ointment on his hand.

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

Just as iron sharpens iron, a person enhances the character and attitude of their friend.

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

Those who nurture the fig tree will enjoy its fruit; similarly, those who serve their leader with patience will be rewarded with respect.

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

Just as a reflection in water mirrors your face, so too does one person's heart reflect another's emotions.

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

Just as the abyss of hell and ruin are insatiable, so too is the human desire for more, never content.

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

Just as silver is refined in a pot and gold in a furnace, a man is shaped by the praise he receives.

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

Even if you grind a fool in a mill like wheat, his stupidity won't leave him.

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

Devote your heart to understanding the needs of your flock, and pay close attention to their wellbeing.

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

Wealth is fleeting and power isn't always passed down through generations.

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

The fields burst into life, tender green sprouts reveal themselves, and mountain herbs are lovingly collected.

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

The sheep provide you warmth with their wool, while the goats' value can buy you land.

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

You'll have plenty of goat's milk to feed yourself, your family, and even your helpers.