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Proverbs

Offers wisdom and advice on how to live a good and meaningful life.

Chapter 27

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

*Don't brag about tomorrow; you don't know what the day might bring.

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

*Let someone else compliment you, not yourself; a person you don't know, not yourself.

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

*A rock is heavy, and sand is weighty; however, an angry fool's anger is even heavier than both of them.

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

*Wrath is mean, and anger is extreme; but who can withstand envy's power?

5 Open rebuke is better than secret love.

*It's better to openly scold someone than to keep affection hidden.

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

*True friends have honest hurt; fake friends give misleading affection.

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

*A completely filled soul dislikes honeycombs, but a hungry soul finds everything bitter tasting like sweetness.

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

*Like a bird leaving its home, a person wandering away from their spot.

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

*Ointment and fragrance make the heart happy, just like a friend's kindness makes it happy with good advice.

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.

*Don't leave your friends or your dad's friends when you're in trouble. Also, don't go to your sibling's place during hard times. It's better to have a close neighbor than a distant relative.

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

*My child, be smart and bring joy to my heart, so I can respond to those who criticize me.

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

*A smart person sees danger coming and hides; but a naive person doesn't notice and gets into trouble.

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

*Take the man's clothes as a guarantee for someone he doesn't know, and also ask for something valuable from him for a woman he's not close to.

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

*If you praise your friend loudly, early in the morning, it will be seen as a curse.

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

*A constant drizzle on a rainy day is similar to a disagreeable, argumentative woman.

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

*Whoever hides her (referring to a person) is hiding something like the wind, and the fragrance from their right hand that reveals itself.

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

*One sharp tool helps another be sharp; similarly, one person helps their friend improve their appearance or expression.

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

*Whoever takes care of the fig tree will get to eat its fruit. Similarly, whoever patiently serves their master will be respected.

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

*As water reflects faces, so people's hearts connect with each other.

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

*Hell and ruin always want more; thus, humans' eyes are never content.

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

*Just like a pot purifies silver and a furnace refines gold, people are also shaped by their praise.

22 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 crush a foolish person's head with a mortar and pestle while mixing them with wheat, their foolishness won't go away.

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

*Be careful to understand how your sheep are doing, and closely watch over your cows.

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

*Wealth doesn't last forever, and does the royal crown continue down through all generations?

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

*The hay appears, and young grass is visible, and mountain plants are collected.

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

*The sheep are for your clothes, and the goats are what you pay for the land.

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

*You will have plenty of goat's milk for your own eating, your family's eating, and to take care of your unmarried girls.

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