« | Proverbs 27 | » |
1 Boast not of tomorrow, for you know not what any day may bring forth.
2 Let another praise you-- not your own mouth; Someone else-- not your own lips.
3 Stone is heavy, and sand a burden, but a fool's provocation is heavier than both.
4 Anger is relentless, and wrath overwhelming-- but before jealousy who can stand?
5 Better is an open rebuke than a love that remains hidden.
6 Wounds from a friend may be accepted as well meant, but the greetings of an enemy one prays against.
7 One who is full, tramples on virgin honey; but to the man who is hungry, any bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a bird that is far from its nest is a man who is far from his home.
9 Perfume and incense gladden the heart, but by grief the soul is torn asunder.
10 Your own friend and your father's friend forsake not; but if ruin befalls you, enter not a kinsman's house. Better is a neighbor near at hand than a brother far away.
11 If you are wise, my son, you will gladden my heart, and I will be able to rebut him who tuants me.
12 The shrewd man perceives evil and hides; simpletons continue on and suffer the penalty.
13 Take his garment who becomes surety for another, and for the sake of a stranger, yield it up!
14 When one greets his neighbor with a loud voice in the early morning, a curse can be laid to his charge.
15 For a persistent leak on a rainy day the match is a quarrelsome woman.
16 He who keeps her stores up a stormwind; he cannot tell north from south.
17 As iron sharpens iron, so man sharpens his fellow man.
18 He who tends a fig tree eats its fruit, and he who is attentive to his master will be enriched.
19 As one face differs from another, so does one human heart from another.
20 The nether world and the abyss are never satisfied; so too the eyes of men.
21 As the crucible tests silver and the furnace gold, so a man is tested by the praise he receives.
22 Though you should pound the fool to bits with the pestle, amid the grits in a mortar, his folly would not go out of him.
23 Take good care of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds;
24 For wealth lasts not forever, nor even a crown from age to age.
25 When the grass is taken away and the aftergrowth appears, and the mountain greens are gathered in,
26 The lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats will bring the price of a field,
27 And there will be ample goat's milk to supply you, to supply your household, and maintenance for your maidens.
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU)
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU) is a highly respected English translation of the Bible known for its rigorous adherence to the original languages of Scripture. First published in 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, the NASU is an update of the New American Standard Bible (NASB), which was originally completed in 1971. The NASU seeks to improve upon the NASB by enhancing readability and modernizing the language while maintaining the translation’s reputation for being one of the most literal translations available. This makes the NASU a preferred choice for serious Bible study, preaching, and teaching.
A key feature of the NASU is its commitment to formal equivalence, or a word-for-word translation philosophy. The translators aimed to produce a text that is as close as possible to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. This approach ensures that the NASU captures the precise meaning and structure of the original texts, providing readers with a highly accurate and reliable representation of the Scriptures. The use of formal equivalence makes the NASU particularly valuable for those who desire a deep and detailed understanding of the Bible, including scholars, theologians, and students of the Word.
In updating the NASB, the NASU made several important changes to improve clarity and readability. While maintaining the accuracy and literalness of the translation, the NASU incorporates modern English expressions and smoother sentence structures. This makes the text more accessible to contemporary readers without compromising the precision that the NASB is known for. The NASU also includes updated cross-references and footnotes, which provide additional context and insights, further aiding in the study and understanding of the biblical text.
Despite its many strengths, the NASU has faced some criticism. Some readers and scholars argue that the translation’s emphasis on literalness can sometimes result in a text that feels stiff or less fluid than more dynamic translations. Additionally, while the NASU’s updated language makes it more accessible, some feel that it could go further in adapting to contemporary usage without losing its accuracy. Nevertheless, the New American Standard Updated Version remains a highly esteemed translation, valued for its fidelity to the original texts and its usefulness for in-depth study and precise interpretation of the Bible.