1 Don't boast about what you're going to do tomorrow, because you don't know what the day may bring. 2 Let others praise you, not you yourself; someone else, not you personally. 3 Stone may be heavy, and sand may weigh a lot, but the annoyance caused by stupid people is the biggest burden of all. 4 Fury may be fierce and cruel, anger may be a destructive flood, but who can withstand jealousy? 5 Open criticism is better than hidden love. 6 A friend's honest comments may hurt you, but an enemy's kisses are over the top. 7 If you're full up, you can't face honey; but if you're starving, even bitter food tastes sweet. 8 Having to leave home is like a bird having to leave its nest. 9 Perfume and scented oils make you feel happy, but good advice from a friend is even better. 10 Don't give up on your friends or your family's friends. Don't go to a relative's house when you've got trouble. A friend nearby is more useful than a relative far away. 11 My son, make me happy by being wise, so I can respond to anyone who criticizes me. 12 If you're sensible you see danger coming and get out of the way; but stupid people just keep going and suffer the consequences. 13 If someone guarantees a stranger's debt with their cloak, be sure to take it! Make sure you have whatever is pledged to an immoral woman! 14 If when you get up every morning you shout a loud hello to your neighbors, they will see that as a curse! 15 An argumentative wife is as irritating as constant dripping on a rainy day. 16 Trying to stop her is like trying to make the wind stop or trying to hold olive oil in your hand. 17 An iron blade is sharpened with an iron tool, and one person's mind is sharpened by another's. 18 Those who care for a fig tree eat its fruit, and those who care for their master are rewarded. 19 Just as water reflects your face, your mind reflects who you really are. 20 In the same way that the grave and destruction are never satisfied, human desire is never satisfied. 21 Just as a crucible tests silver, and a furnace tests gold, people are tested by the praise they receive. 22 Even if you ground stupid people in a mortar, crushing them like grain with the pestle, you can't get rid of stupidity from them. 23 You should know the condition of your flocks really well and take good care of your herds, 24 for wealth doesn't last forever—is a crown passed down through all generations? 25 Once the hay is cut, and the new growth begins, and fodder from the mountains is gathered, 26 and the lambs have provided you wool to make clothing, and the sale of goats have paid for a field, 27 there'll be enough milk from your goats to feed you, your family, and your servant girls.
Proverbs 27 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (27)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 James 4:13–16; Luke 12:19–20; 2 Corinthians 6:2; Isaiah 56:12; 1 Samuel 28:19
- 2 2 Corinthians 10:18; Proverbs 25:27; 2 Corinthians 10:12; 2 Corinthians 12:11
- 3 Daniel 3:19; 1 John 3:12; Proverbs 17:12; Genesis 49:7; 1 Samuel 22:18–19
- 4 Proverbs 6:34; Proverbs 14:30; James 3:14–16; Job 5:2; Matthew 27:18
- 5 Proverbs 28:23; 1 Timothy 5:20; Galatians 2:14; Matthew 18:15; Leviticus 19:17
- 6 Psalm 141:5; Revelation 3:19; Job 5:17–18; Proverbs 26:23–26; 2 Samuel 12:7–15
- 7 Luke 15:16–17; Numbers 21:5; Numbers 11:18–20; Numbers 11:4–9; John 6:9
- 8 Proverbs 21:16; Isaiah 16:2; Jonah 1:3; 1 Corinthians 7:20; Jonah 1:10–17
- 9 Proverbs 16:23–24; Proverbs 16:21; Psalm 23:5; Proverbs 15:23; Psalm 104:15
- 10 Proverbs 18:24; Proverbs 17:17; 1 Kings 12:6–8; Luke 10:30–37; Proverbs 19:7
- 11 Proverbs 10:1; Psalm 119:42; Proverbs 23:15–16; 2 John 4; Proverbs 23:24–25
- 12 Proverbs 22:3; Proverbs 18:10; Hebrews 11:7; 2 Peter 3:10–14; 2 Peter 3:7
- 13 Proverbs 20:16; Proverbs 6:1–4; Proverbs 22:26–27; Exodus 22:26
- 14 2 Samuel 16:16–19; Acts 12:22–23; Jeremiah 28:2–4; 1 Kings 22:13; 2 Samuel 15:2–7
- 15 Proverbs 21:9; Proverbs 19:13; Proverbs 21:19; Proverbs 25:24; Job 14:19
- 16 John 12:3
- 17 Hebrews 10:24; Proverbs 27:9; Job 4:3–4; 1 Samuel 23:16; Isaiah 35:3–4
- 18 1 Corinthians 9:7; 2 Timothy 2:6; Song of Songs 8:12; Luke 12:37; John 12:26
- 19 James 1:22–25; Psalm 33:15; Mark 7:21; Genesis 6:5
- 20 Ecclesiastes 1:8; 1 John 2:16; Proverbs 30:15–16; Ecclesiastes 6:7; Habakkuk 2:5
- 21 Proverbs 17:3; Zechariah 13:9; Psalm 66:10; Malachi 3:3; 1 Peter 1:7
- 22 Proverbs 23:35; Jeremiah 5:3; Isaiah 1:5; Revelation 16:10–11; Exodus 14:5
- 23 1 Peter 5:2; John 21:15–17; Genesis 33:13; 2 Chronicles 26:10; Proverbs 24:32
- 24 Proverbs 23:5; 1 Timothy 6:17–18; Zephaniah 1:18; James 1:10; Isaiah 9:7
- 25 Proverbs 10:5; Psalm 104:14
- 26 Job 31:20
- 27 Matthew 6:33; Proverbs 30:8–9
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Have pity, O Lord God, lest they who pass by trample on the unfledged bird; and send Thine angel, who may restore it to its nest that it may live until it can fly.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
Hence it is written, "Let not thy own mouth praise thee, but let thy neighbor's" mouth praise thee. But this was said to man.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
There is a precept laid on man: "Let not thine own mouth praise thee, but the mouth of thy neighbor." For self-pleasing is a perilous thing for one who has to be on his guard against falling into pride.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)