English / ERV
Proverbs 27
Easy-to-Read Version, 2006
- 1Never brag about what you will do in the future; you have no idea what tomorrow will bring.
- 2Never praise yourself. Let others do it.
- 3A stone is heavy, and sand is hard to carry, but the irritation caused by a fool is much harder to bear.
- 4Anger is cruel and can destroy like a flood, but jealousy is much worse.
- 5Open criticism is better than hidden love.
- 6You can trust what your friend says, even when it hurts. But your enemies want to hurt you, even when they act nice.
- 7When you are full, you will not even eat honey. When you are hungry, even something bitter tastes sweet.
- 8A man away from home is like a bird away from its nest.
- 9Perfume and incense make you feel good, and so does good advice from a friend.
- 10Don’t forget your own friends or your father’s friends. If you have a problem, go to your neighbor for help. It is better to ask a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.
- 11My son, be wise. This will make me happy. Then I will be able to answer those who criticize me.
- 12Wise people see trouble coming and get out of its way, but fools go straight to the trouble and suffer for it.
- 13When you make a deal with a stranger, get something from him and any other foreigners with him to make sure he will pay you.
- 14Don’t wake up your neighbors early in the morning with a shout of “Good morning!” They will treat it like a curse, not a blessing.