Proverbs 27:20–22

20 Death and Destruction are never satisfied,

and neither are human eyes.

21 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,

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.

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.

20 Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied,

so human desire is never satisfied.

21 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold,

but a person is tested by being praised.

22 You cannot separate fools from their foolishness,

even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle.

20 Hell and Destruction are never full;

So the eyes of man are never satisfied.

21 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,

And a man is valued by what others say of him.

22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,

Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

20 People will never stop dying and being destroyed,

and they will never stop wanting more than they have.

21 A hot furnace tests silver and gold,

and people are tested by the praise they receive.

22 Even if you ground up a foolish person like grain in a bowl,

you couldn’t remove the foolishness.

20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied;

And the eyes of man are never satisfied.

21 The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold;

And a man is tried by his praise.

22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with bruised grain,

Yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

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

21 The fining-pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; so let a man be to the mouth that praiseth him.

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

20 Hell and decay are never satisfied, 

and a person’s eyes are never satisfied. 

21 The crucible is for refining silver and the smelter for gold, 

but a person ⸤is tested⸥ by the praise given to him. 

22 If you crush a stubborn fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, 

⸤even then⸥ his stupidity will not leave him. 

20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,

and people’s eyes are never satisfied.

21 A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold,

and a man for the words of his praise.

22 Though you grind a fool

in a mortar with a pestle along with grain,

you will not separate his foolishness from him.

20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,

and human eyes are never satisfied.

21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,

so a person is tested by being praised.

22 Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle

along with crushed grain,

but the folly will not be driven out.

20 Sheol and Abaddon will not be satisfied,

and the eyes of a person will not be satisfied either.

21 A crucible is for the silver, and a furnace for the gold,

but a man is tested by the mouth of him who praises him.

22 If you crush a fool in the mortar with the pestle along with the crushed grain,

it will not drive folly from upon him.

20 Death and the Grave are never satisfied.

A man’s eyes are never satisfied either.

21 Fire tests silver. Heat tests gold.

But a man is tested by the praise he receives.

22 You can grind a foolish person in a mill.

You can grind him as you would grind grain with a tool.

But you can’t remove his foolishness from him.

20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,

Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.

21 The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold,

And each is tested by the praise accorded him.

22 Though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,

Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.