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

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

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

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

5 Better is open reproof than hidden love.

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

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

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

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

10 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 is a near neighbour than a brother afar off.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

19 As in water the face is to face, So the heart of man to man.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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