Proverbs 27:8-17

⁸As a bird passing over from his nest, so is a man that forsaketh his place. (Like a bird passing over its own nest, is a man who is far from his own home.)

⁹The heart delighteth in ointment, and diverse odours; and a soul is made sweet by the good counsels of a friend.

¹⁰Forsake thou not thy friend, and the friend of thy father; and enter thou not into the house of thy brother, in the day of thy torment. Better is a neighbour nigh, than a brother afar. (Desert thou not thy friend, or thy father’s friend; and enter thou not into the house of thy brother, on the day of thy torment. For a friend close-by is better, than thy own brother far away.)

¹¹My son, study thou about wisdom, and make thou glad mine heart; that thou mayest answer a word to a despiser (or so that I can have an answer for any despiser, or for any mocker).

¹²A fell man seeing evil was hid; little men of wit passing forth suffered harms. (A clever person, seeing evil approach, was hidden; but people of little wit, or of low intelligence, pass forth, or continue on, and suffer harm.)

¹³Take thou away his cloth, that promised for a stranger; and take thou away a wed from him for an alien man. (Take thou away his cloak, who hath promised for a stranger; and take thou away a pledge from him for an unknown person.)

¹⁴He that blesseth his neighbour with a great voice; and riseth by night, shall be like him that curseth (him). (He who blesseth his neighbour with a great voice, when he riseth at night, shall be likened to him who curseth him.)

¹⁵Roofs dropping in the day of cold, and a woman full of chiding, be likened together. (Roofs dripping rain on a cold day, and a woman full of arguments, or of bickering, be quite similar.)

¹⁶He that withholdeth her, (is) as if he holdeth (the) wind; and voideth the oil (out) of his right hand. (He who trieth to hold her, is like him who trieth to hold the wind; and like him who trieth to pick up oil with his fingers.)

¹⁷Iron is whetted by iron; and a man whetteth the face of his friend. (Iron is sharpened by iron; and a man sharpeneth his friend’s mind.)