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27:1  Many have sinned for the sake of monetary gain; he who seeks riches must turn a blind eye.
27:2  As a peg is driven firmly into the joint between stones, so the sin of dishonesty will wedge itself in between selling and buying.
27:3  Unless a man holds firmly to the fear of the Lord, his house will be quickly overthrown.
27:4  When a sieve is shaken, the rubbish appears; so too do the defects of a man after he speaks.
27:5  As the work of a potter is tested in a furnace, so the test of a man is in his conversation.
27:6  The fruit of a tree reveals the care with which it was cultivated; in the same way, a man’s speech reveals his mindset.
27:7  Do not praise anyone who has not yet spoken, since this is the way men are tested.
27:8  If you pursue righteousness, you will attain it and put it on like a festal robe.
27:9  Birds associate with their own kind, and honesty comes home to those who practice it.
27:10  As a lion lies in wait for its prey, so does sin for those who do evil deeds.
27:11  The conversation of the devout is always wise, but the fool is as changeable as the moon.
27:12  Limit the time when you are in the presence of fools, but linger as much as possible among those who are thoughtful.
27:13  The conversation of fools is offensive, and their raucous laughter centers around their wanton sinfulness.
27:14  Their oath-filled chatter can make your hair stand on end, and their quarrels cause others to shut their ears.
27:15  The arguments among the arrogant lead to bloodshed; their abuse is painful to listen to.
27:16  Anyone who betrays secrets forfeits any right to trust, and he will never find a close friend.
27:17  Love your friend and keep faith with him, but if you betray his secrets, do not attempt to remain by his side.
27:18  For as one destroys an enemy, so you will have destroyed your neighbor’s friendship.
27:19  Like a bird that you have let escape from your hand, so have you let your neighbor go with no chance of being caught again.
27:20  Do not pursue him, for he will be far away, having escaped like a gazelle from a trap.
27:21  A wound can be bandaged, and an insult forgiven, but the betrayer of secrets has lost all hope.
27:22  Anyone who winks slyly is plotting mischief, and no one can dissuade him from it.
27:23  He speaks sweetly while in your presence, and admires your every word, but later he will change his tune, and with your own words he will trip you up.
27:24  I have found many things to hate, but nothing so much as this man, and the Lord despises him too.
27:25  Whoever throws a stone straight up into the air will see it descend on his own head, and a treacherous blow will cut both ways.
27:26  Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever sets a snare will be caught in it.
27:27  Whoever does evil deeds will have that evil recoil upon him without having the slightest idea where it came from.
27:28  Mockery and abuse issue from an arrogant man, but vengeance lies in wait for him like a lion.
27:29  Those who rejoice at the downfall of the godly will be ensnared, and they will be consumed with pain before their death.
27:30  Wrath and anger are also habits to abhor, yet sinners will have both of them.