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Proverbs 27
EasyEnglish Bible
Proverbs 27
EasyEnglish Bible
27 Do not boast about what you will do tomorrow.
You do not know what might happen.
2 Let other people praise you.
Do not boast about yourself.
3 A stone is heavy to carry and sand also weighs a lot.
But the silly acts of a fool give more pain than both of those.
4 An angry person does cruel things that can destroy people.
But a jealous person is much worse.
5 When a friend is not afraid to warn you that you are wrong,
it shows that he really loves you.
6 You can trust a friend when he says things that hurt you.
But when an enemy kisses you, he is deceiving you.
7 A person who has eaten enough food will refuse honey.
But even bitter food seems sweet to a hungry person.
8 A person who travels away from his home
is like a bird that flies away from its nest.
9 Beautiful oil and perfume may give you joy.
But good advice from a friend is even better.
10 Do not forget your friends or your father's friends.
If you are in trouble, do not ask your relatives to help you.
A friend who is a neighbour will be more help than a relative who lives far away.
11 My son, if you are wise, I will be happy.
I will be able to answer anyone who insults me.
12 A careful person can see danger and he will hide himself.
But a silly person never stops, and he walks into trouble.
13 If someone promises to pay the debts of a stranger,
take his coat as a guarantee that he will pay.
14 If you shout a blessing to your neighbour early in the morning,
he will think it is no better than a curse.
15 A wife who is always arguing with you
is as bad as rain that never stops falling.
16 Can you catch the wind? Can you hold oil in your hand?
No! And you cannot keep that woman quiet.
17 People learn from each other,
as one iron tool can make another one sharp.
18 If you take care of a fig tree, it will give you fruit to eat.
If you take care of your master, he will give you honour.
19 A man can see his face in a mirror.
But his thoughts show what he is really like.
20 The deep hole of death always wants more dead people to fill it.
In the same way, a person wants to have everything that he sees.
21 You need a hot fire to see if silver and gold are pure.
In the same way, when people praise you,
they can see what you are really like.
22 Even if you beat a fool with a big stick, as hard as you beat grain,
you will never remove all his silly ideas.
23 Always take care of your sheep and your goats, as well as your cows. 24 Your riches will not be there for ever. One family does not rule a kingdom for ever. 25 One day you will cut the grass in your fields and then new grass will grow. You will store the grass that has grown on the hills. 26 Then you will use the wool from your sheep to make clothes. You make clothes from your sheep's wool. You will sell your goats, and you will buy a field. 27 You will have enough milk from your goats to feed yourself, your family and your female servants.[a]
Footnotes
- 27:27 The last proverb in this chapter (verses 23-27) shows that God will give us what we need, if we are careful to take care of the things that he has given to us.
Proverbs 27
Modern English Version
Proverbs 27
Modern English Version
27 Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth;
a stranger, and not your own lips.
3 A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,
but a fool’s 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 loathes a honeycomb,
but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
8 As a bird that wanders from her nest,
so is a man who wanders from his place.
9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart,
so does the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.
10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend,
nor go into your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;
for better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far off.
11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,
that I may answer him who reproaches me.
12 A prudent man foresees the evil and hides himself,
but the simple pass on and are punished.
13 Take his garment that is security for a stranger,
and take a pledge of him for an adulterous woman.
14 He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,
it will be counted a curse to him.
15 A continual dripping on a very rainy day
and a contentious woman are alike;
16 whoever restrains her restrains the wind,
and grasps oil in his right hand.
17 Iron sharpens iron,
so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
18 Whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit;
so he who waits on his master will be honored.
19 As in water face answers to face,
so the heart of man to man.
20 Death and destruction are never full;
so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
21 As the refining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold,
so is a man to his praise.
22 Though you should grind a fool in a mortar
among wheat with a pestle,
yet his foolishness will not depart from him.
23 Be diligent to know the state of your flocks,
and look well to your herds;
24 for riches are not forever,
nor does the crown endure to every generation.
25 The hay appears, and the tender grass shows itself,
and herbs of the mountains are gathered.
26 The lambs are for your clothing,
and the goats are the price of the field.
27 You will have goats’ milk enough
for your food, for the food of your household,
and for the maintenance of your maidens.
Proverbs 27
King James Version
Proverbs 27
King James Version
27 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's 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's friend by hearty counsel.
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.
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.
Proverbs 27
New International Version
Proverbs 27
New International Version
2 Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;
an outsider, and not your own lips.(C)
3 Stone is heavy and sand(D) a burden,
but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy?(E)
5 Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
but an enemy multiplies kisses.(F)
7 One who is full loathes honey from the comb,
but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.
8 Like a bird that flees its nest(G)
is anyone who flees from home.
9 Perfume(H) and incense bring joy to the heart,
and the pleasantness of a friend
springs from their heartfelt advice.
10 Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,
and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster(I) strikes you—
better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.
11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart;(J)
then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.(K)
12 The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.(L)
13 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.(M)
14 If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning,
it will be taken as a curse.
15 A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping(N)
of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;
16 restraining her is like restraining the wind
or grasping oil with the hand.
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.
18 The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit,(O)
and whoever protects their master will be honored.(P)
19 As water reflects the face,
so one’s life reflects the heart.[a]
21 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,(S)
but people are tested by their praise.
22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar,
grinding them like grain with a pestle,
you will not remove their folly from them.
23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,(T)
give careful attention to your herds;
24 for riches do not endure forever,(U)
and a crown is not secure for all generations.
25 When the hay is removed and new growth appears
and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
26 the lambs will provide you with clothing,
and the goats with the price of a field.
27 You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family
and to nourish your female servants.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 27:19 Or so others reflect your heart back to you
- Proverbs 27:20 Hebrew Abaddon
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Modern English Version (MEV)
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
New International Version (NIV) 
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