1  Boast not thyself of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

1  Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what the future day may bring.

2  Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

2  Let another praise you, and not your own mouth: an outsider, and not your own lips.

3  A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's vexation is heavier than they both.

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

4  Wrath is merciless, and anger sharp: but envy can bear nothing.

4  Anger holds no mercy, nor does fury when it erupts. And who can bear the assault of one who has been provoked?

5  Better is open rebuke than love that is hidden.

5  Open reproofs are better than secret love.

6  Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are importunate.

6  The wounds of a friend are more to be trusted than the spontaneous kisses of an enemy.

6  Better are the wounds of a friend than the kisses of an enemy.

7  The full soul loatheth a honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

7  A sated soul will trample the honeycomb. And a hungry soul will accept even bitter in place of sweet.

8  As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.

8  As when a bird flies down from its own nest, so a man is brought into bondage whenever he estranges himself from his own place.

8  Just like a bird migrating from her nest, so also is a man who abandons his place.

9  Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart; so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.

9  The heart delights in ointments and wines and perfumes: but the soul is broken by calamities.

9  Ointment and various perfumes delight the heart. And the good advice of a friend is sweet to the soul.

10  Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity; better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.

10  Do not dismiss your friend or your father’s friend. And do not enter your brother’s house in the day of your affliction. A close neighbor is better than a distant brother.

10  Your own friend and your father's friend forsake not; neither go into your brother's house in the day of your calamity; for better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far off.

11  My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that taunteth me.

11  Son, be wise, that thy heart may rejoice; and remove thou from thyself reproachful words.

11  My son, study wisdom, and rejoice my heart, so that you may be able to respond to the one who reproaches.

12  A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the thoughtless pass on, and are punished.

12  A wise man, when evils are approaching, hides himself; but fools pass on, and will be punished.

12  The discerning man, seeing evil, hides himself. The little ones, continuing on, sustain losses.

13  Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; and hold him in pledge that is surety for an alien woman.

13  Take away the man’s garment, (for a scorner has passed by) whoever lays waste another’s goods.

14  He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.

15  A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike;

15  On a stormy day drops of rain drive a man out of his house; so also does a railing woman drive a man out of his own house.

15  A roof leaking on a cold day, and an argumentative woman, are comparable.

16  He that would hide her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand betrayeth itself.

16  The north wind is sharp, but it is called by name propitious.

16  He who would restrain her, he is like one who would grasp the wind, or who would gather together oil with his right hand.

17  Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

18  Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof; and he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.

18  Whoever maintains the fig tree shall eat its fruit. And whoever is the keeper of his master shall be glorified.

18  He who guards his fig tree shall eat its fruit; and he who is careful of his master shall be honored.

19  As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.

19  As faces are not like other faces, so neither are the thoughts of men.

19  In the manner of faces looking into shining water, so are the hearts of men made manifest to the prudent.

20  The nether-world and Destruction are never satiated; so the eyes of man are never satiated.

20  Hell and destruction are not filled; so also are the eyes of men insatiable. He that fixes his eye is an abomination to the Lord; and the uninstructed do not restrain their tongue.

20  Hell and perdition are never filled; similarly the eyes of men are insatiable.

21  The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, and a man is tried by his praise.

21  Fire is the trial for silver and gold; and a man is tried by the mouth of them that praise him. The heart of the transgressor seeks after mischiefs; but an upright heart seeks knowledge.

21  In the manner of silver being tested in the refinery, and gold in the furnace, so also is a man tested by the mouth of one who praises. The heart of the iniquitous inquires after evils, but the heart of the righteous inquires after knowledge.

22  Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle among groats, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

22  Even if you were to crush the foolish with a mortar, as when a pestle strikes over pearled barley, his foolishness would not be taken from him.

22  Though you should beat a fool in the midst of an assembly, you will not do him any good, nor will you cause his foolishness to depart from him.

23  Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds;

23  When you are feeding the sheep, know their faces and set your mind on the flock.

24  For riches are not for ever; and doth the crown endure unto all generations?

24  For a man has not strength and power for ever; neither does he transmit it from generation to generation.

24  for you will not always hold this power. But a crown shall be awarded from generation to generation.

25  When the hay is mown, and the tender grass showeth itself, and the herbs of the mountains are gathered in;

25  Take care of the herbage in the field, and thou shalt cut grass, and gather the mountain hay;

25  The meadows are open, and the green plants have appeared, and the hay has been collected from the mountains.

26  The lambs will be for thy clothing, and the goats the price for a field.

26  that thou mayest have wool of sheep for clothing: pay attention to the land, that thou mayest have lambs.

27  And there will be goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household; and maintenance for thy maidens.

27  My son, thou hast from me words very useful for thy life, and for the life of thy servants.

27  Let the milk of goats be sufficient for your food, and for the necessities of your household, and for the provisions of your handmaids.