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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Proverbs 27

Wisdom for character, speech, work, relationships, justice, money, and reverence for God.

Old Testament

Proverbs 27

1Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring.

2Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

3A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

4Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?

5Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

6The wounds of a friend are faithful, although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

7A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.

8As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home.

9Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.

10Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend. Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster. A neighbor who is near is better than a distant brother.

11Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.

12A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

13Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!

14He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse by him.

15A continual dropping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike:

16restraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil in his right hand.

17Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.

18Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after his master shall be honored.

19Like water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.

20Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man’s eyes are never satisfied.

21The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise.

22Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.

23Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds,

24for riches are not forever, nor does the crown endure to all generations.

25The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in.

26The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field.

27There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

Wisdom for character, speech, work, relationships, justice, money, and reverence for God. Read Proverbs 27 within the complete Proverbs overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Proverbs 27

Proverbs 27 contains 27 verses and about 406 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 27 closes: “There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include don’t, friend, bring, heart, man’s, will. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Proverbs 27

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Proverbs 27:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer