Proverbs 27:1

27:1 Do not boast ¹  about tomorrow; ² 

for you do not know ³  what a day may bring forth.

James 4:13-14

4:13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that town ⁴  and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” 4:14 You ⁵  do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? ⁶  For you are a puff of smoke ⁷  that appears for a short time and then vanishes.

[27:1]  ¹ tn The form אַל־תִּתְהַלֵּל (’al-tithallel) is the Hitpael jussive negated; it is from the common verb “to praise,” and so in this setting means “to praise oneself” or “to boast.”

[27:1]  ² sn The word “tomorrow” is a metonymy of subject, meaning what will be done tomorrow, or in the future in general.

[27:1]  ³ sn The expression “you do not know” balances the presumption of the first line, reminding the disciple of his ignorance and therefore his need for humility (e.g., Matt 6:34; Luke 12:20; Jas 4:13-16).

[4:13]  ⁴ tn Or “city.”

[4:14]  ⁵ tn Grk “who” (continuing the description of the people of v. 13). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[4:14]  ⁶ tn Or “you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.”

[4:14]  ⁷ tn Or “a vapor.” The Greek word ἀτμίς (atmis) denotes a swirl of smoke arising from a fire (cf. Gen 19:28; Lev 16:13; Joel 2:30 [Acts 2:19]; Ezek 8:11).