1 D o not boast of tomorrow, for you know not what a day may bring forth.

Boast not thyself of to-morrow, For thou knowest not what a day bringeth forth.

2 L et another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth, A stranger, and not thine own lips.

3 S tone is heavy and sand weighty, but a fool’s wrath is heavier and more intolerable than both of them.

A stone heavy, and the sand heavy, And the anger of a fool Is heavier than they both.

4 W rath is cruel and anger is an overwhelming flood, but who is able to stand before jealousy?

Fury fierce, and anger overflowing, And who standeth before jealousy?

5 O pen rebuke is better than love that is hidden.

Better open reproof than hidden love.

6 F aithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are lavish and deceitful.

Faithful are the wounds of a lover, And abundant the kisses of an enemy.

7 H e who is satiated loathes and treads underfoot a honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

A satiated soul treadeth down a honeycomb, And a hungry soul every bitter thing sweet.

8 L ike a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who strays from his home.

As a bird wandering from her nest, So a man wandering from his place.

9 O il and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of a friend’s counsel that comes from the heart.

Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, And the sweetness of one's friend -- from counsel of the soul.

10 Y our own friend and your father’s friend, forsake them not; neither go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far off.

Thine own friend, and the friend of thy father, forsake not, And the house of thy brother enter not In a day of thy calamity, Better a near neighbour than a brother afar off.

11 M y son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him who reproaches me.

Be wise, my son, and rejoice my heart. And I return my reproacher a word.

12 A prudent man sees the evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.

The prudent hath seen the evil, he is hidden, The simple have passed on, they are punished.

13 T ake the garment of one who is security for a stranger; and hold him in pledge when he is security for foreigners.

Take his garment, when a stranger hath been surety, And for a strange woman pledge it.

14 T he flatterer who loudly praises and glorifies his neighbor, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted as cursing him.

Whoso is saluting his friend with a loud voice, In the morning rising early, A light thing it is reckoned to him.

15 A continual dripping on a day of violent showers and a contentious woman are alike;

A continual dropping in a day of rain, And a woman of contentions are alike,

16 W hoever attempts to restrain might as well try to stop the wind—his right hand encounters oil.

Whoso is hiding her hath hidden the wind, And the ointment of his right hand calleth out.

17 I ron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Iron by iron is sharpened, And a man sharpens the face of his friend.

18 W hoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit; so he who patiently and faithfully guards and heeds his master shall be honored.

The keeper of a fig-tree eateth its fruit, And the preserver of his master is honoured.

19 A s in water face answers to and reflects face, so the heart of man to man.

As water the face to face, So the heart of man to man.

20 S heol (the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the place of destruction) are never satisfied; so the eyes of man is never satisfied.

Sheol and destruction are not satisfied, And the eyes of man are not satisfied.

21 A s the refining pot for silver and the furnace for gold, so let a man be in his trial of praise.

A refining pot for silver, and a furnace for gold, And a man according to his praise.

22 E ven though like grain you should pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

If thou dost beat the foolish in a mortar, Among washed things -- with a pestle, His folly turneth not aside from off him.

23 B e diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds;

Know well the face of thy flock, Set thy heart to the droves,

24 F or riches are not forever; does a crown endure to all generations?

For riches not to the age, Nor a crown to generation and generation.

25 W hen the hay is gone, the tender grass shows itself, and herbs of the mountain are gathered in,

Revealed was the hay, and seen the tender grass, And gathered the herbs of mountains.

26 T he lambs will be for your clothing, and the goats the price of a field.

Lambs for thy clothing, And the price of the field he-goats,

27 A nd there will be goats’ milk enough for your food, for the food of your household, and for the maintenance of your maids.

And a sufficiency of goats' milk for thy bread, For bread to thy house, and life to thy damsels!