|
|
|
| Boast not thyself of to morrow; for
thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips. 3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both. 4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy? 5 Open rebuke is better than secret love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. 8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place. 9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel. 10 Thine 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. 11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me. 12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished. 13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman. 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. 16 Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself. 17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. 18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured. 19 As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man. 20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. 21 As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise. 22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him. 23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. 24 For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? 25 The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered. 26 The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field. 27 And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens. |
Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t
know what the day will bring.
2 Don’t praise yourself; let others do it! 3 A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but the resentment caused by a fool is heavier than both. 4 Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood, but who can survive the destructiveness of jealousy? 5 An open rebuke is better than hidden love! 6 Wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. 7 Honey seems tasteless to a person who is full, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry. 8 A person who strays from home is like a bird that strays from its nest. 9 The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. 10 Never abandon a friend—either yours or your father’s. Then in your time of need, you won’t have to ask your relatives for assistance. It is better to go to a neighbor than to a relative who lives far away. 11 My child, how happy I will be if you turn out to be wise! Then I will be able to answer my critics. 12 A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. 13 Be sure to get collateral from anyone who guarantees the debt of a stranger. Get a deposit if someone guarantees the debt of an adulterous woman. 14 If you shout a pleasant greeting to your neighbor too early in the morning, it will be counted as a curse! 15 A nagging wife is as annoying as the constant dripping on a rainy day. 16 Trying to stop her complaints is like trying to stop the wind or hold something with greased hands. 17 As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend. 18 Workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat its fruit. In the same way, workers who protect their employer’s interests will be rewarded. 19 As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person. 20 Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied. 21 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised. 22 You cannot separate fools from their foolishness, even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle. 23 Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds, 24 for riches don’t last forever, and the crown might not be secure for the next generation. 25 After the hay is harvested, the new crop appears, and the mountain grasses are gathered in, 26 your sheep will provide wool for clothing, and your goats will be sold for the price of a field. 27 And you will have enough goats’ milk for you, your family, and your servants. |