Heed Wisdom’s Warnings

¹Never brag about the plans you have for tomorrow,

for you don’t have a clue what tomorrow may bring to you.

²Let someone else honor you for your accomplishments,

for self-praise is never appropriate.

³It’s easier to carry a heavy boulder and a ton of sand

than to be provoked by a fool and have to carry that burden!

⁴The rage and anger of others can be overwhelming,

but it’s nothing compared to jealousy’s fire.

⁵It’s better to be corrected openly

if it stems from hidden love.

⁶You can trust a friend who wounds you with his honesty,[#27:6 Or “Amen [effective and faithful] are the wounds of love.” This could be a reference to the wounds Jesus endured because of his love for us.]

but your enemy’s pretended flattery comes from insincerity.

⁷When your soul is full, you turn down even the sweetest honey.

But when your soul is starving,

every bitter thing becomes sweet.

⁸Like a bird that has fallen from its nest

is the one who is dislodged from his home.

⁹Sweet friendships refresh the soul and awaken our hearts with joy,[#27:9 Or “counsel.”]

for good friends are like the anointing oil

that yields the fragrant incense of God’s presence .

¹⁰So never give up on a friend or abandon a friend of your father—

for in the day of your brokenness

you won’t have to run to a relative for help.

A friend nearby is better than a relative far away.

¹¹My son, when you walk in wisdom,

my heart is filled with gladness,

for the way you live is proof

that I’ve not taught you in vain.

¹²A wise, shrewd person discerns the danger ahead

and prepares himself,

but the naïve simpleton never looks ahead

and suffers the consequences.

¹³Cosign for one you barely know and you will pay a great price!

Anyone stupid enough to guarantee the loan of another

deserves to have his property seized in payment.

¹⁴Do you think you’re blessing your neighbors

when you sing at the top of your lungs early in the morning?

Don’t be fooled—

they’ll curse you for doing it!

¹⁵An endless drip, drip, drip, from a leaky faucet[#27:15 Or “a constant drip on a rainy day.”]

and the words of a cranky, nagging wife have the same effect.

¹⁶Can you stop the north wind from blowing

or grasp a handful of oil?

That’s easier than to stop her from complaining.

¹⁷It takes a grinding wheel to sharpen a blade,

and so one person sharpens the character of another.

¹⁸Tend an orchard and you’ll have fruit to eat.

Serve the Master’s interests

and you’ll receive honor that’s sweet.

¹⁹Just as no two faces are exactly alike,

so every heart is different.

²⁰Death and destruction are never filled,

and the desires of men’s hearts are insatiable.

²¹Fire is the way to test the purity of silver and gold,

but the character of a man is tested

by giving him a measure of fame.

²²You can beat a fool half to death

and still never beat the foolishness out of him.

²³A shepherd should pay close attention to the faces of his flock

and hold close to his heart the condition of those he cares for.

²⁴A man’s strength, power, and riches will one day fade away;[#27:24 The Hebrew says merely “riches,” while the Aramaic adds “power [dominion]” and the Septuagint adds “strength.” This translation combines them.]

not even nations endure forever.

^25-26-27Take care of your responsibilities

and be diligent in your business

and you will have more than enough—

an abundance of food, clothing, and plenty for your household.