1 D o not talk much about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day will bring.

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. Let a stranger, and not your own lips.

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

3 A stone is heavy, and sand is heavy, but to be made angry by a fool weighs more than both of them.

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

4 A nger causes trouble and a bad temper is like a flood, but who can stand when there is jealousy?

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

5 S harp words spoken in the open are better than love that is hidden.

Better open reproof than hidden love.

6 T he pains given by a friend are faithful, but the kisses of one who hates you are false.

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

7 H e who is full hates honey, but any bitter thing is sweet to a hungry man.

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

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

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

9 O il and perfume make the heart glad, so are a man’s words sweet to his friend.

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

10 D o not leave your own friend or your father’s friend alone, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your trouble. A neighbor who is near is better than a brother who is far away.

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 B e wise, my son, and make my heart glad, so I may answer him who puts me to shame.

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

12 A wise man sees sin and hides himself, but the fool goes on and suffers for it.

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

13 T ake the man’s coat who has given himself as trust for what a stranger owes. And hold him to his promise who has given it as trust for a sinful woman.

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

14 H e who praises his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning will be thought of as saying bad things against 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 n arguing woman is like water falling drop by drop on a day it is raining.

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

16 T o try to stop her is like trying to stop the wind, or like trying to catch oil in his right hand.

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

17 I ron is made sharp with iron, and one man is made sharp by a friend.

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

18 H e who cares for the fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who cares for the one he works for will be honored.

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

19 A s water acts as a mirror to a face, so the heart of man acts as a mirror to a man.

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

20 T he place of the dead is never filled, and the eyes of man are never filled.

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

21 T he melting-pot is for silver and the fire for gold, and a man is tested by the praise he receives.

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

22 E ven if you crush a fool in a pot used for crushing grain, his foolish way will not leave 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 K now well how your flocks are doing, and keep your mind on your cattle.

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

24 R iches do not last forever, and a crown does not pass from family to family.

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

25 W hen the grass is gone, the new plants are seen, and the plants of the mountains 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 clothes, and the goats will bring the price of a field.

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

27 T here will be enough goats’ milk for your food, for the food of all your house, and a living for your young women.

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