1 D on’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring.

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

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

Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth. Let a stranger, and not your own lips.

3 A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

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

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

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

5 B etter is open rebuke than hidden love.

Sharp words spoken in the open are better than love that is hidden.

6 F aithful are the wounds of a friend; although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

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

7 A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.

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

8 A s a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home.

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

9 P erfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.

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

10 D on’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend. Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster: better is a neighbor who is near than a distant brother.

Do 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.

11 B e wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.

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

12 A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

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

13 T ake his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!

Take 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.

14 H e who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse by him.

He who praises his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning will be thought of as saying bad things against him.

15 A continual dropping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike:

An arguing woman is like water falling drop by drop on a day it is raining.

16 r estraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil in his right hand.

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

17 I ron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.

Iron is made sharp with iron, and one man is made sharp by a friend.

18 W hoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after his master shall be honored.

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

19 L ike water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.

As water acts as a mirror to a face, so the heart of man acts as a mirror to a man.

20 S heol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man’s eyes are never satisfied.

The place of the dead is never filled, and the eyes of man are never filled.

21 T he crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise.

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

22 T hough you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.

Even if you crush a fool in a pot used for crushing grain, his foolish way will not leave him.

23 K now well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds:

Know well how your flocks are doing, and keep your mind on your cattle.

24 f or riches are not forever, nor does even the crown endure to all generations.

Riches do not last forever, and a crown does not pass from family to family.

25 T he hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in.

When the grass is gone, the new plants are seen, and the plants of the mountains are gathered in.

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

The lambs will be for your clothes, and the goats will bring the price of a field.

27 T here will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.

There will be enough goats’ milk for your food, for the food of all your house, and a living for your young women.