CHAPTER 27
1 Have thou not glory of the morrow, that knowest not what thing the day coming shall bring forth.
2 Another man, and not thy mouth praise thee; a stranger, and not thy lips.
3 A stone is heavy, and gravel is chargeous; but the ire [or the wrath] of a fool is heavier than ever either.
4 Ire [or Wrath] hath no mercy, and strong vengeance breaking out hath no mercy; and who may suffer the fierceness of a spirit stirred?
5 Better is open reproving, than a love hid. [Better is open amending, than hid love.]
6 Better be the wounds of him that loveth, than the guileful kisses of him that hateth.
7 A man [ful] filled shall despise an honeycomb; but an hungry man shall take, yea, bitter thing for sweet.
8 As a bird passing over from his nest, so is a man that forsaketh his place.
9 The heart delighteth in ointment, and diverse odours; and a soul is made sweet by the good counsels of a friend.
10 Forsake thou not thy friend, and the friend of thy father; and enter thou not into the house of thy brother, in the day of thy torment. Better is a neighbour nigh, than a brother afar.
11 My son, study thou about wisdom, and make thou glad mine heart; that thou mayest answer a word to a despiser.
12 A fell man seeing evil was hid; little men of wit passing forth suffered harms.
13 Take thou away his cloth, that promised for a stranger; and take thou away a wed from him for an alien man.
14 He that blesseth his neighbour with [a] great voice; and riseth by night, shall be like him that curseth.
15 Roofs dropping in the day of cold, and a woman full of chiding, be likened together.
16 He that withholdeth her, as if he holdeth [or held the] wind; and voideth [out] the oil of his right hand.
17 Iron is whetted by iron; and a man whetteth the face of his friend.
18 He that keepeth a fig tree, shall eat the fruits thereof; and he that is a keeper of his lord, shall be glorified.
19 As the cheers of men beholding themselves shine in waters; so the hearts of men be open to prudent men.
20 Hell and perdition shall not be filled; so and the eyes of men be not able to be filled [or be unfillable].
21 As silver is proved in a welling place, and gold is proved in a furnace; so a man is proved by the mouth of his praisers.
22 Though thou poundedest a fool in a mortar, as with a pestle smiting above dried barley, his folly shall not be done away from him.
23 Know thou diligently the cheer of thy beast; and behold thou thy flocks.
24 For thou shalt not have power continually; but a crown shall be given to thee in generation and into generation[s].
25 Meadows be opened, and green herbs appeared; and hay is gathered from [the] hills.
26 Lambs be to thy clothing; and kids be to the price of the field.
27 The milk of goats suffice to thee for thy meats; into the necessary things of thine house, and to lifelode of thine handmaidens.