Proverbs 27:1-16 ▼

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

2 Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth— a stranger, not your own lips.

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

4 Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood, but jealousy is even more dangerous.

5 An open rebuke is better than hidden love!

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

7 A person who is full refuses honey, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry.

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

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

10 Never abandon a friend— either yours or your father’s. When disaster strikes, you won’t have to ask your brother for assistance. It’s better to go to a neighbor than to a brother who lives far away.

11 Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad. Then I will be able to answer my critics.

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

13 Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger’s debt. Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners.

14 A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning will be taken as a curse!

15 A quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping on a rainy day.

16 Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the wind or trying to hold something with greased hands.