Proverbs 27 Today's Daily Bread

1Don't brag about tomorrow, since you don't know what the day will bring.

2Don't praise yourself; let others do it!

3A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but the resentment caused by a fool is heavier than both.

4Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood, but who can survive the destructiveness of jealousy?

5An open rebuke is better than hidden love!

6Wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.

7Honey seems tasteless to a person who is full, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry.

8A person who strays from home is like a bird that strays from its nest.

9The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.

10Never abandon a friend—either yours or your father's. Then in your time of need, you won't have to ask your relatives for assistance. It is better to go to a neighbor than to a relative who lives far away.

11My child, F41 how happy I will be if you turn out to be wise! Then I will be able to answer my critics.

12A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

13Be sure to get collateral from anyone who guarantees the debt of a stranger. Get a deposit if someone guarantees the debt of an adulterous woman.

14If you shout a pleasant greeting to your neighbor too early in the morning, it will be counted as a curse!

15A nagging wife is as annoying as the constant dripping on a rainy day. 16Trying to stop her complaints is like trying to stop the wind or hold something with greased hands.

17As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend.

18Workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat its fruit. In the same way, workers who protect their employer's interests will be rewarded.

19As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person.

20Just as Death and Destruction F42 are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied.

21Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised.

22You cannot separate fools from their foolishness, even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle.

23Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds, 24for riches don't last forever, and the crown might not be secure for the next generation. 25After the hay is harvested, the new crop appears, and the mountain grasses are gathered in, 26your sheep will provide wool for clothing, and your goats will be sold for the price of a field. 27And you will have enough goats' milk for you, your family, and your servants.
FOOTNOTES:
F41: Hebrew My son.
F42: Hebrew Sheol and Abaddon.