¹As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.

²As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

³A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.

⁴Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

⁶He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.

⁷The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

⁸As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.

⁹As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

¹¹As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

¹²Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

¹³The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

¹⁴As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

¹⁵The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

¹⁶The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

¹⁷He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

¹⁸As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,

¹⁹So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?

²⁰Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

²¹As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

²²The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

²³Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.

²⁴He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;

²⁵When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.

²⁶Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.

²⁷Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

²⁸A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.

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

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

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

⁴Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

⁵Open rebuke is better than secret love.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹³Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

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

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

¹⁶Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.

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

¹⁸Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.

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

²⁰Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

²¹As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.

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

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

²⁴For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?

²⁵The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.

²⁶The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.

²⁷And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.

¹Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

²Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

³According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

⁴Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

⁵And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

⁶And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

⁷And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

⁸For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁹But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

¹⁰Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

¹¹For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

¹²Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

¹³Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;

¹⁴Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

¹⁵Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

¹⁶For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

¹⁷For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

¹⁸And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

¹⁹We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

²⁰Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

²¹For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.