Proverbs 27–29

¹Boast not thyself of to-morrow, For thou knowest not what a day bringeth forth.

²Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth, A stranger, and not thine own lips.

³A stone is heavy, and the sand is heavy, And the anger of a fool Is heavier than they both. ⁴Fury is fierce, and anger is overflowing, And who standeth before jealousy?

⁵Better is open reproof than hidden love. ⁶Faithful are the wounds of a lover, And abundant the kisses of an enemy.

⁷A satiated soul treadeth down a honeycomb, And to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

⁸As a bird wandering from her nest, So is a man wandering from his place.

⁹Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, And the sweetness of one’s friend—from counsel of the soul. ¹⁰Thine own friend, and the friend of thy father, forsake not, And the house of thy brother enter not In a day of thy calamity, Better is a near neighbour than a brother afar off.

¹¹Be wise, my son, and rejoice my heart. And I return my reproacher a word.

¹²The prudent hath seen the evil, he is hidden, The simple have passed on, they are punished.

¹³Take his garment, when a stranger hath been surety, And for a strange woman pledge it.

¹⁴Whoso is saluting his friend with a loud voice, In the morning rising early, A light thing it is reckoned to him.

¹⁵A continual dropping in a day of rain, And a woman of contentions are alike, ¹⁶Whoso is hiding her hath hidden the wind, And the ointment of his right hand calleth out.

¹⁷Iron by iron is sharpened, And a man sharpens the face of his friend.

¹⁸The keeper of a fig-tree eateth its fruit, And the preserver of his master is honoured.

¹⁹As in water the face is to face, So the heart of man to man.

²⁰Sheol and destruction are not satisfied, And the eyes of man are not satisfied.

²¹A refining pot is for silver, and a furnace for gold, And a man according to his praise.

²²If thou dost beat the foolish in a mortar, Among washed things—with a pestle, His folly turneth not aside from off him.

²³Know well the face of thy flock, Set thy heart to the droves, ²⁴For riches are not to the age, Nor a crown to generation and generation. ²⁵Revealed was the hay, and seen the tender grass, And gathered the herbs of mountains. ²⁶Lambs are for thy clothing, And the price of the field are he-goats, ²⁷And a sufficiency of goats’ milk is for thy bread, For bread to thy house, and life to thy damsels!

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¹The wicked have fled and there is no pursuer. And the righteous as a young lion is confident.

²By the transgression of a land many are its heads. And by an intelligent man, Who knoweth right—it is prolonged.

³A man—poor and oppressing the weak, Is a sweeping rain, and there is no bread.

⁴Those forsaking the law praise the wicked, Those keeping the law plead against them.

⁵Evil men understand not judgment, And those seeking Jehovah understand all.

⁶Better is the poor walking in his integrity, Than the perverse of ways who is rich.

⁷Whoso is keeping the law is an intelligent son, And a friend of gluttons, Doth cause his father to blush.

⁸Whoso is multiplying his wealth by biting and usury, For one favouring the poor doth gather it.

⁹Whoso is turning his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.

¹⁰Whoso is causing the upright to err in an evil way, Into his own pit he doth fall, And the perfect do inherit good.

¹¹A rich man is wise in his own eyes, And the intelligent poor searcheth him.

¹²In the exulting of the righteous the glory is abundant, And in the rising of the wicked man is apprehensive.

¹³Whoso is covering his transgressions prospereth not, And he who is confessing and forsaking hath mercy.

¹⁴O the happiness of a man fearing continually, And whoso is hardening his heart falleth into evil.

¹⁵A growling lion, and a ranging bear, Is the wicked ruler over a poor people.

¹⁶A leader lacking understanding multiplieth oppressions, Whoso is hating dishonest gain prolongeth days.

¹⁷A man oppressed with the blood of a soul, Unto the pit fleeth, none taketh hold on him.

¹⁸Whoso is walking uprightly is saved, And the perverted of ways falleth at once.

¹⁹Whoso is tilling his ground is satisfied with bread, And whoso is pursuing vanity, Is filled with poverty.

²⁰A stedfast man hath multiplied blessings, And whoso is hasting to be rich is not acquitted.

²¹To discern faces is not good, And for a piece of bread doth a man transgress.

²²Troubled for wealth is the man with an evil eye, And he knoweth not that want doth meet him.

²³Whoso is reproving a man afterwards findeth grace, More than a flatterer with the tongue.

²⁴Whoso is robbing his father, or his mother, And is saying, ‘It is not transgression,’ A companion he is to a destroyer.

²⁵Whoso is proud in soul stirreth up contention, And whoso is trusting on Jehovah is made fat.

²⁶Whoso is trusting in his heart is a fool, And whoso is walking in wisdom is delivered.

²⁷Whoso is giving to the poor hath no lack, And whoso is hiding his eyes multiplied curses.

²⁸In the rising of the wicked a man is hidden, And in their destruction the righteous multiply!

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¹A man often reproved, hardening the neck, Is suddenly broken, and there is no healing.

²In the multiplying of the righteous the people rejoice, And in the ruling of the wicked the people sigh.

³A man loving wisdom rejoiceth his father, And a friend of harlots destroyeth wealth.

⁴A king by judgment establisheth a land, And one receiving gifts throweth it down.

⁵A man taking a portion above his neighbour, Spreadeth a net for his own steps.

⁶In the transgression of the evil is a snare, And the righteous doth sing and rejoice.

⁷The righteous knoweth the plea of the poor, The wicked understandeth not knowledge.

⁸Men of scorning ensnare a city, And the wise turn back anger.

⁹A wise man is judged by the foolish man, And he hath been angry, And he hath laughed, and there is no rest.

¹⁰Men of blood hate the perfect, And the upright seek his soul.

¹¹A fool bringeth out all his mind, And the wise till afterwards restraineth it.

¹²A ruler who is attending to lying words, All his ministers are wicked.

¹³The poor and the man of frauds have met together, Jehovah is enlightening the eyes of them both.

¹⁴A king that is judging truly the poor, His throne for ever is established.

¹⁵A rod and reproof give wisdom, And a youth let away is shaming his mother.

¹⁶In the multiplying of the wicked transgression multiplieth, And the righteous on their fall do look.

¹⁷Chastise thy son, and he giveth thee comfort, Yea, he giveth delights to thy soul.

¹⁸Without a Vision is a people made naked, And whoso is keeping the law, O his happiness!

¹⁹By words a servant is not instructed though he understand, And there is nothing answering.

²⁰Thou hast seen a man hasty in his words! More hope of a fool than of him.

²¹Whoso is bringing up his servant delicately, from youth, At his latter end also he is continuator.

²²An angry man stirreth up contention, And a furious man is multiplying transgression.

²³The pride of man humbleth him, And humility of spirit upholdeth honour.

²⁴Whoso is sharing with a thief is hating his own soul, Execration he heareth, and telleth not.

²⁵Fear of man causeth a snare, And the confident in Jehovah is set on high.

²⁶Many are seeking the face of a ruler, And from Jehovah is the judgment of each.

²⁷An abomination to the righteous is the perverse man, And an abomination to the wicked is the upright in the way!

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