Proverbs 27:6-21
Proverbs 27:6-21 The Message (MSG)
The wounds from a lover are worth it; kisses from an enemy do you in. When you’ve stuffed yourself, you refuse dessert; when you’re starved, you could eat a horse. People who won’t settle down, wandering hither and yon, are like restless birds, flitting to and fro. Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul. Don’t leave your friends or your parents’ friends and run home to your family when things get rough; Better a nearby friend than a distant family. Become wise, dear child, and make me happy; then nothing the world throws my way will upset me. A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks; a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered. Hold tight to collateral on any loan to a stranger; be wary of accepting what a transient has pawned. If you wake your friend in the early morning by shouting “Rise and shine!” It will sound to him more like a curse than a blessing. A nagging spouse is like the drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet; You can’t turn it off, and you can’t get away from it. You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another. If you care for your orchard, you’ll enjoy its fruit; if you honor your boss, you’ll be honored. Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart. Hell has a voracious appetite, and lust just never quits. The purity of silver and gold is tested by putting them in the fire; The purity of human hearts is tested by giving them a little fame.
Proverbs 27:6-21 King James Version (KJV)
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. As a bird that wandereth from her nest, So is a man that wandereth from his place. Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: So doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel. Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; Neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: For better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off. My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, That I may answer him that reproacheth me. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; But the simple pass on, and are punished. Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, And take a pledge of him for a strange woman. He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It shall be counted a curse to him. A continual dropping in a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike. Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, And the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself. Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: So he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured. As in water face answereth to face, So the heart of man to man. Hell and destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied. As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; So is a man to his praise.
Proverbs 27:6-21 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. A sated man loathes honey, But to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet. Like a bird that wanders from her nest, So is a man who wanders from his home. Oil and perfume make the heart glad, So a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend. Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, And do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away. Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, That I may reply to him who reproaches me. A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, The naive proceed and pay the penalty. Take his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger; And for an adulterous woman hold him in pledge. He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, It will be reckoned a curse to him. A constant dripping on a day of steady rain And a contentious woman are alike; He who would restrain her restrains the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand. Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, And he who cares for his master will be honored. As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man. Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied. The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, And each is tested by the praise accorded him.
Proverbs 27:6-21 New Century Version (NCV)
The slap of a friend can be trusted to help you, but the kisses of an enemy are nothing but lies. When you are full, not even honey tastes good, but when you are hungry, even something bitter tastes sweet. A person who leaves his home is like a bird that leaves its nest. The sweet smell of perfume and oils is pleasant, and so is good advice from a friend. Don’t forget your friend or your parent’s friend. Don’t always go to your family for help when trouble comes. A neighbor close by is better than a family far away. Be wise, my child, and make me happy. Then I can respond to any insult. The wise see danger ahead and avoid it, but fools keep going and get into trouble. Take the coat of someone who promises to pay a stranger’s loan, and keep it until he pays what the stranger owes. If you loudly greet your neighbor early in the morning, he will think of it as a curse. A quarreling wife is as bothersome as a continual dripping on a rainy day. Stopping her is like stopping the wind or trying to grab oil in your hand. As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other. Whoever tends a fig tree gets to eat its fruit, and whoever takes care of his master will receive honor. As water reflects your face, so your mind shows what kind of person you are. People will never stop dying and being destroyed, and they will never stop wanting more than they have. A hot furnace tests silver and gold, and people are tested by the praise they receive.
Proverbs 27:6-21 American Standard Version (ASV)
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; But the kisses of an enemy are profuse. The full soul loatheth a honeycomb; But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. As a bird that wandereth from her nest, So is a man that wandereth from his place. Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; So doth the sweetness of a man’s friend that cometh of hearty counsel. Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; And go not to thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off. My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, That I may answer him that reproacheth me. A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself; But the simple pass on, and suffer for it. Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge that is surety for a foreign woman. He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It shall be counted a curse to him. A continual dropping in a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike: He that would restrain her restraineth the wind; And his right hand encountereth oil. Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof; And he that regardeth his master shall be honored. As in water face answereth to face, So the heart of man to man. Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; And the eyes of man are never satisfied. The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; And a man is tried by his praise.
Proverbs 27:6-21 New International Version (NIV)
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. One who is full loathes honey from the comb, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet. Like a bird that flees its nest is anyone who flees from home. Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice. Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you— better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away. Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt. The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider. If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse. A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm; restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand. As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit, and whoever protects their master will be honored. As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes. The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise.
Proverbs 27:6-21 New King James Version (NKJV)
Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. Like a bird that wanders from its nest Is a man who wanders from his place. Ointment and perfume delight the heart, And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel. Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away. My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, That I may answer him who reproaches me. A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; The simple pass on and are punished. Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger, And hold it in pledge when he is surety for a seductress. He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It will be counted a curse to him. A continual dripping on a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike; Whoever restrains her restrains the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand. As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit; So he who waits on his master will be honored. As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man. Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied. The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, And a man is valued by what others say of him.
Proverbs 27:6-21 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Faithful are the wounds of a friend [who corrects out of love and concern], But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful [because they serve his hidden agenda]. He who is satisfied loathes honey, But to the hungry soul any bitter thing is sweet. Like a bird that wanders from her nest [with its comfort and safety], So is a man who wanders from his home. Oil and perfume make the heart glad; So does the sweetness of a friend’s counsel that comes from the heart. Do not abandon your own friend and your father’s friend, And do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away. My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, That I may reply to him who reproaches (reprimands, criticizes) me. [Prov 10:1; 23:15, 24] A prudent man sees evil and hides himself and avoids it, But the naive [who are easily misled] continue on and are punished [by suffering the consequences of sin]. [Prov 22:3] [The judge tells the creditor,] “Take the garment of one who is surety (guarantees a loan) for a stranger; And hold him in pledge when he is surety for an immoral woman [for it is unlikely the debt will be repaid].” [Prov 20:16] He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, It will be counted as a curse to him [for it will either be annoying or his purpose will be suspect]. A constant dripping on a day of steady rain And a contentious (quarrelsome) woman are alike; [Prov 19:13] Whoever attempts to restrain her [criticism] might as well try to stop the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand. As iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens [and influences] another [through discussion]. He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, And he who faithfully protects and cares for his master will be honored. [1 Cor 9:7, 13] As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man. Sheol (the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the underworld) are never satisfied; Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied. [Prov 30:16; Hab 2:5] The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold [to separate the impurities of the metal], And each is tested by the praise given to him [and his response to it, whether humble or proud].
Proverbs 27:6-21 New Living Translation (NLT)
Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. A person who is full refuses honey, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry. A person who strays from home is like a bird that strays from its nest. The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. 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. Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad. Then I will be able to answer my critics. A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger’s debt. Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners. A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning will be taken as a curse! A quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping on a rainy day. Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the wind or trying to hold something with greased hands. As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. As workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat the fruit, so workers who protect their employer’s interests will be rewarded. As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person. Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied. Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised.
Proverbs 27:6-21 The Passion Translation (TPT)
You can trust a friend who wounds you with his honesty, but your enemy’s pretended flattery comes from insincerity. When your soul is full, you turn down even the sweetest honey. But when your soul is starving, every bitter thing becomes sweet. Like a bird that has fallen from its nest is the one who is dislodged from his home. Sweet friendships refresh the soul and awaken our hearts with joy, for good friends are like the anointing oil that yields the fragrant incense of God’s presence. So 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. My 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. A wise, shrewd person discerns the danger ahead and prepares himself, but the naïve simpleton never looks ahead and suffers the consequences. Cosign 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. Do 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! An endless drip, drip, drip, from a leaky faucet and the words of a cranky, nagging wife have the same effect. Can you stop the north wind from blowing or grasp a handful of oil? That’s easier than to stop her from complaining. It takes a grinding wheel to sharpen a blade, and so one person sharpens the character of another. Tend an orchard and you’ll have fruit to eat. Serve the Master’s interests and you’ll receive honor that’s sweet. Just as no two faces are exactly alike, so every heart is different. Death and destruction are never filled, and the desires of men’s hearts are insatiable. Fire 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.
Proverbs 27:6-21 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet. Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home. Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away. Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him who reproaches me. The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress. Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing. A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike; to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp oil in one’s right hand. Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored. As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man. Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man. The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise.
