Proverbs 27
Παροιμίαι
1 ΜΗ καυχῶ τὰ εἰς αὔριον, οὐ γὰρ γινώσκεις τί τέξεται ἡ ἐπιοῦσα.
Boast not of to-morrow; for you know not what the next day shall bring forth.
2 ἐγκωμιαζέτω σε ὁ πέλας καὶ μὴ τὸ σὸν στόμα, ἀλλότριος καὶ μὴ τὰ σὰ χείλη.
Let your neighbour, and not your own mouth, praise you; a stranger, and not your own lips.
3 βαρὺ λίθος καὶ δυσβάστακτον ἄμμος, ὀργὴ δὲ ἄφρονος βαρυτέρα ἀμφοτέρων.
A stone is heavy, and sand cumbersome; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both.
4 ἀνελεήμων θυμὸς καὶ ὀξεῖα ὀργή, ἀλλ᾿ οὐδένα ὑφίσταται ζῆλος.
Wrath is merciless, and anger sharp: but envy can bear nothing.
5 κρείσσους ἔλεγχοι ἀποκεκαλυμμένοι κρυπτομένης φιλίας.
Open reproofs are better than secret love.
6 ἀξιοπιστόστερά εἰσι τραύματα φίλου ἢ ἐκούσια φιλήματα ἐχθροῦ.
The wounds of a friend are more to be trusted than the spontaneous kisses of an enemy.
7 ψυχὴ ἐν πλησμονῇ οὖσα κηρίοις ἐμπαίζει, ψυχῇ δὲ ἐνδεεῖ καὶ τὰ πικρὰ γλυκέα φαίνεται.
A full soul scorns honeycombs; but to a hungry soul even bitter things appear sweet.
8 ὥσπερ ὅταν ὄρνεον καταπετασθῇ ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας νοσσιᾶς, οὕτως ἄνθρωπος δουλοῦται ὅταν ἀποξενωθῇ ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων τόπων.
As when a bird flies down from its own nest, so a man is brought into bondage whenever he estranges himself from his own place.
9 μύροις καὶ οἴνοις καὶ θυμιάμασι τέρπεται καρδία, καταρρήγνυται δὲ ὑπὸ συμπτωμάτων ψυχή.
The heart delights in ointments and wines and perfumes: but the soul is broken by calamities.
10 φίλον σὸν ἢ φίλον πατρῷον μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς, εἰς δὲ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου μὴ εἰσέλθης ἀτυχῶν· κρείσσων φίλος ἐγγὺς ἢ ἀδελφὸς μακρὰν οἰκῶν.
Your own friend, and your father's friend, forsake not; and when you are in distress go not into your brother's house: better is a friend [that is] near than a brother living far off.
11 σοφὸς γίνου, υἱέ, ἵνα σου εὐφραίνηται ἡ καρδία, καὶ ἀπόστρεψον ἀπὸ σοῦ ἐπονειδίστους λόγους.
Son, be wise, that your heart may rejoice; and remove you from yourself reproachful words.
12 πανοῦργος κακῶν ἐπερχομένων ἀπεκρύβη, ἄφρονες δὲ ἐπελθόντες ζημίαν τίσουσιν.
A wise man, when evils are approaching, hides himself; but fools pass on, and will be punished.
13 ἀφελοῦ τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ, παρῆλθε γὰρ ὑβριστής, ὅστις τὰ ἀλλότρια λυμαίνεται.
Take away the man's garment, (for a scorner has passed by) whoever lays waste another's goods.
14 ὃς ἂν εὐλογῇ φίλον τὸ πρωΐ μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ, καταρωμένου οὐδὲν διαφέρειν δόξει.
Whosoever shall bless a friend in the morning with a loud voice, shall seem to differ nothing from one who curses [him].
15 σταγόνες ἐκβάλλουσιν ἄνθρωπον ἐν ἡμέρᾳ χειμερινῇ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ, ὡσαύτως καὶ γυνὴ λοίδορος ἐκ τοῦ ἱδίου οἴκου.
On a stormy day drops [of rain] drive a man out of his house; so also does a railing woman [drive a man] out of his own house.
16 Βορέας σκληρὸς ἄνεμος, ὀνόματι δὲ ἐπιδέξιος καλεῖται.
The north wind is sharp, but it is called by name propitious.
17 σίδηρος σίδηρον ὀξύνει, ἀνὴρ δὲ παροξύνει πρόσωπον ἑταίρου.
Iron sharpens iron; and a man sharpens his friend's countenance.
18 ὃς φυτεύει συκῆν φάγεται τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς, ὃς δὲ φυλάσσει τὸν ἑαυτοῦ κύριον, τιμηθήσεται.
He that plants a fig tree shall eat the fruits of it: so he that waits on his own master shall be honoured.
19 ὥσπερ οὐκ ὅμοια πρόσωπα προσώποις, οὕτως οὐδὲ αἱ διάνοιαι τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
As faces are not like [other] faces, so neither are the thoughts of men.
20 ᾅδης καὶ ἀπώλεια οὐκ ἐμπίμπλανται, ὡσαύτως καὶ οἱ ὁφθαλμοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἄπληστοι. 20α βδέλυγμα Κυρίῳ στηρίζων ὀφθαλμόν, καὶ οἱ ἀπαίδευτοι ἀκρατεῖς γλώσσῃ.
Hell and destruction are not filled; so also are the eyes of men insatiable. [He that fixes his eye is an abomination to the Lord; and the uninstructed do not restrain their tongue.]
21 δοκίμιον ἀργυρῷ καὶ χρυσῷ πύρωσις, ἀνὴρ δὲ δοκιμάζεται διὰ στόματος ἐγκωμιαζόντων αὐτόν. 21α καρδία ἀνόμου ἐκζητεῖ κακά, καρδία δὲ εὐθὴς ἐκζητεῖ γνῶσιν.
Fire is the trial for silver and gold; and a man is tried by the mouth of them that praise him. The heart of the transgressor seeks after mischiefs; but an upright heart seeks knowledge.
22 ἐὰν μαστιγοῖς ἄφρονα ἐν μέσῳ συνεδρίου ἀτιμάζων, οὐ μὴ περιέλῃς τὴν ἀφροσύνην αὐτοῦ.
Though you scourge a fool, disgracing him in the midst of the council, you will [still] in no wise remove his folly from him.
23 γνωστῶς ἐπιγνώσῃ ψυχὰς ποιμνίου σου καὶ ἐπιστήσεις καρδίαν σου σαῖς ἀγέλαις·
Do you thoroughly know the number of your flock, and pay attention to your herds.
24 ὅτι οὐκ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἀνδρὶ κράτος καὶ ἰσχύς, οὐδὲ παραδίδωσιν ἐκ γενεᾶς εἰς γενεάν.
For a man [has] not strength and power for ever; neither does he transmit it from generation to generation.
25 ἐπιμελοῦ τῶν ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ χλωρῶν καὶ κερεῖς πόαν, καὶ σύναγε χόρτον ὀρεινόν,
Take care of the herbage in the field, and you shall cut grass, and gather the mountain hay;
26 ἵνα ἔχῃς πρόβατα εἰς ἱματισμόν· τίμα πεδίον, ἵνα ὦσί σοι ἄρνες.
that you may have [wool of] sheep for clothing: pay attention to the land, that you may have lambs.
27 υἱέ, παρ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἔχεις ρήσεις ἰσχυρὰς εἰς τὴν ζωήν σου καὶ εἰς τὴν ζωὴν σῶν θεραπόντων.
[My] son, you have from me words very useful for your life, and for the life of your servants.
Greek: the Septuagint as the Orthodox Media Network published it (Mount Athos); 2 Maccabees and the Prayer of Manasseh from Brenton's edition (1851). English: Brenton's translation (1851), its spelling updated by Michael Paul Johnson; public domain. About these texts.