27:6Who would prefer a friend's wounds to an enemy's kisses? Anyone who considers the source. A friend who has your best interests at heart may have to give you unpleasant advice at times, but you know it is for your own good. An enemy, by contrast, May whisper sweet words and happily send you on your way to ruin. We tend to hear what we want to hear, even if an enemy is the only one who will say it. A friend’s advice, no matter how painful, is much more valuable.
Life Application Study BibleProverbsChapter 27
Proverbs 27
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1050, 1051, 1052
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
27Proverbs 27
1since you don’t know what the day will bring. 2Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth— a stranger, not your own lips. 3A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but the resentment caused by a fool is even heavier.
4Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood,but jealousy is even more dangerous.
5An open rebukeis better than hidden love!
6Wounds from a sincere friendare better than many kisses from an enemy.
7A person who is full refuses honey,but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry.
8A person who strays from homeis like a bird that strays from its nest.
9The heartfelt counsel of a friendis as sweet as perfume and incense.
10Never 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.
11Be wise, my child,* and make my heart glad.Then I will be able to answer my critics.
12A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
13Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger’s debt. Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners.*
14A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morningwill be taken as a curse!5 A quarrelsome wife is as annoyingas constant dripping on a rainy day.
16Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the windor trying to hold something with greased hands.
17As iron sharpens iron,so a friend sharpens a friend.
18As workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat the fruit, so workers who protect their employer’s interests will be rewarded.
19Asa face is reflected in water,so the heart reflects the real person.
20Just as Death and Destruction* are never satisfied,so human desire is never satisfied.
21Fire tests the purity of silver and gold,but a person is tested by being praised.*27:11 Hebrew my son. 27:13 As in Greek and Latin versions (see also 20:16); Hebrew reads for a promiscuouswoman. 27:20 Hebrew Sheol and Abaddon. 27:21 Or by flattery.
22You cannot separate fools from their foolishness, even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle.
23Know 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.
25After the hay is harvested and the new crop appearsand the mountain grasses are gathered in,26 your sheep will provide wool for clothing,and your goats will provide the price of a field.
27And you will have enough goats’ milk for yourself,your family, and your servant girls.2 8 1The wicked run away when no one is chasing them,
Life Application Notes 6 notes
27:15,16Quarrelsome nagging, a steady stream of unwanted advice, is a form of torture. People nag because they think they're not getting through, but nagging hinders communication more than it helps. When tempted to engage in this destructive habit, stop and examine your motives. Are you more concerned about yourself getting your way, being right—than about the person you are pretending to help? If you are truly concerned about other people, think of a more effective way to get through to them. Surprise them with words of patience and love, and see what happens.
27:17Mental sharpness comes from being around good people. And a meeting of minds can help people see their ideas with new clarity, refine them, and.shape them into brilliant insights. This requires partners wha can challenge one another and stimulate thought—people who focus on the idea without involving their egos in the discussion; people who know how to attack the thought and not the thinker. Two friends who bring their ideas together can help each other become sharper.
27:18With all the problems and concerns a leader has, it can be easy to overlook the very people who most deserve attention— faithful emptoyees or volunteers (those who “tend a fig tree”). The people who stand behind you. who work hard and help you get the job done, deserve to share in your success. Be sure that in all your planning, organizing, and working, you don't forget the people who are helping you the most.
27:21Praise tests a person, just as high temperatures test metal. How does praise affect you? Do you work to get it? Do you work harder after you’ve gotten it? Your attitude toward praise tells a lot about your character. People of high integrity are not swayed by praise. They are attuned to their inner convictions, and they do what they should whether or not they are praised for it.
27:23-27Because life is uncertain, we should be all the more diligent in preparing for the future. We should act with foresight, giving responsible attention to our home, our family, and our career. We should be responsible stewards, like a farmer with his lands and herds. Thinking ahead is a duty, not an option, for God's people.