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

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

2 L et another praise thee, and not thine own mouth, A stranger, and not thine own lips.

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

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

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

4 F ury fierce, and anger overflowing, And who standeth before jealousy?

Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?

5 B etter open reproof than hidden love.

Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

6 F aithful are the wounds of a lover, And abundant the kisses of an enemy.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

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

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

8 A s a bird wandering from her nest, So a man wandering from his place.

As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home.

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

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

10 T hine 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.

Don’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.

11 B e wise, my son, and rejoice my heart. And I return my reproacher a word.

Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

17 I ron by iron is sharpened, And a man sharpens the face of his friend.

Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.

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

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

19 A s water the face to face, So the heart of man to man.

Like water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.

20 S heol and destruction are not satisfied, And the eyes of man are not satisfied.

Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man’s eyes are never satisfied.

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

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

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

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

23 K now well the face of thy flock, Set thy heart to the droves,

Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds:

24 F or riches not to the age, Nor a crown to generation and generation.

for riches are not forever, nor does even the crown endure to all generations.

25 R evealed was the hay, and seen the tender grass, And gathered the herbs of mountains.

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

26 L ambs for thy clothing, And the price of the field he-goats,

The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field.

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

There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.