Proverbs 27 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Originally from Solomon (~970-930 BC), collected during Hezekiah's reign (~715-686 BC)
Location
Jerusalem, Kingdom of Judah
Audience
The people of Judah, court officials, and leaders
Situation
Proverbs 27 addresses themes of honest friendship, self-awareness, diligent stewardship, and the limits of human foresight.
Key Background
This chapter contains some of Proverbs' most memorable sayings on friendship — 'iron sharpens iron' (v.17), the faithful wounds of a friend versus the deceptive kisses of an enemy (v.6), and the neighbor nearby being better than a distant relative (v.10). The closing agricultural passage (vv.23-27) about tending flocks reflects the agrarian economy of ancient Israel and serves as a metaphor for attentive leadership. The Hebrew word for 'boasting about tomorrow' (v.1) carries the sense of presuming on God's sovereignty.
Don't about tomorrow -- you have no idea what a single day might bring.
Let someone else not own mouth -- a stranger, not own lips.
A stone is heavy, sand weighs you down -- but the caused by a outweighs them both.
Rage is cruel and anger floods over you -- but who can stand against
An honest out in the open is better than that stays hidden.
from someone who loves you can be trusted, but an enemy will you and
Someone who's full turns away even but to someone who's starving, even something bitter tastes sweet.
Someone who from home is like a bird that from its nest.
and make the heart glad -- and the sweetness of a friend's comes from the
Don't abandon your or your father's And don't run to your brother's house when disaster strikes -- a close neighbor is better than a distant brother.
Be my and bring joy to my heart -- then I'll have an answer for anyone who mocks me.
A person sees danger and takes cover; the keep going and pay the price.
Take his coat -- he put up for a stranger. Hold it as security since he guaranteed a loan for an
If you loudly call out a to your neighbor early in the morning, it will be counted as a curse.
A constant drip on a rainy day and a woman are alike --
trying to her is like trying to the wind, or grabbing oil with your right hand.
As iron iron, so one person another.
Whoever a fig tree will eat its fruit, and whoever watches over their master will be
As water reflects your face, so your reflects who you really are.
The and are never satisfied, and the eyes of a person are never satisfied either.
The tests silver and the furnace tests gold -- and a person is by the praise they receive.
Even if you a fool with a pestle in a mortar, grinding them along with the grain, their still won't leave them.
your flocks well, pay close attention to your herds --
because doesn't last forever, and even a doesn't endure through every generation.
When the is gathered and new growth appears and the mountain herbs are collected --
the will provide your clothing, and the goats will buy you a field.
And there will be enough goat's milk to feed you, to feed your household, and to your