God Speaks
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.
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so a friend sharpens a friend.
18 As workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat the fruit,
so workers who protect their employer’s interests will be rewarded.
19 As a face is reflected in water,
so the heart reflects the real person.
20 Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied,
so human desire is never satisfied.
21 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold,
but a person is tested by being praised.
22 You cannot separate fools from their foolishness,
even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle.
23 Know the state of your flocks,
and put your heart into caring for your herds,
24 for riches don’t last forever,
and the crown might not be passed to the next generation.
25 After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears
and the mountain grasses are gathered in,
26 your sheep will provide wool for clothing,
and your goats will provide the price of a field.
27 And you will have enough goats’ milk for yourself,
your family, and your servant girls.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: For the purpose of study in comparison and contrast, Proverbs 27 is presented here with the good or godly statements in italic. [This chapter appears to primarily contain advice about what to avoid if one wants to be wise or about the consequences of foolishness.]
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 who strays from its nest.
9. The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.
10. Never abandon a friend–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 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. [for a promiscuous woman]
14. A loud and cheerful greeting 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 complains is like trying to stop the wind or trying to hold something with greased hands.
17. As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.
18. As workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat the fruit, so workers who protect their employer’s interest will be rewarded
19. As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.
20. Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied.
21. Fire tests silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised, [by flattery.]
22. You cannot separate fools from their foolishness, even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle.
23. Know the state of your flocks, and put you heart into caring for your herds,
24. for riches don’t last forever, and the crown might not be passed to the next generation.
25. After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears and the mountain grasses are gathered in,
26. your sheep will provide wool for clothing, and your goats will provide the price of a field.
27. And you will have enough goats’ milk for yourself, your family, and your servant girls.
Consider the following questions regarding each Proverbs 27:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God is the only One who can turn people from their foolish ways–if they will turn to Him.
2. People often excuse themselves or blame others for their own foolishness.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Proverbs 27?
Dear LORD God, my nation and world is being run by fools who think that they can predict and control the future while ignoring or denying You, the only One who can. Holy Spirit, please help me to not boast about myself and to handle praise appropriately. Please lead me to tried and true friends and help me to be one. I long to be wise and make Your heart glad, Father God. Please help me to be considerate of others and express my emotions appropriately. Stop me from being contentious. Please give me at least one kindred-spirit so that we can sharpen each other in the LORD. May I be content with the circumstances You have placed in my life. May I appreciate and carefully look after the provisions and blessings You have given me and my household. May all that I say and do be for Your glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Proverbs 27? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will ask Father God to forgive a fool who has wronged me by their words or actions. This forgiveness is on the basis of Christ’s death on the cross.
- I will teach these proverbs to the children for whom I am responsible so that they can become wise, and I will be glad.
- I will search out the possible consequences of my actions so that I can prepare and take precautions.
- I will not let compliments go to my head or criticism go to my heart (from Dennis Prager, in one of his Fireside Chats).
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.