1Do not make a noise about tomorrow, for you are not certain what a day's outcome may be.

2Let another man give you praise, and not your mouth; one who is strange to you, and not your lips.

3A stone has great weight, and sand is crushing; but the wrath of the foolish is of greater weight than these.

4Wrath is cruel, and angry feeling an overflowing stream; but who does not give way before envy?

5Better is open protest than love kept secret.

6The wounds of a friend are given in good faith, but the kisses of a hater are false.

7The full man has no use for honey, but to the man in need of food every bitter thing is sweet.

8Like a bird wandering from the place of her eggs is a man wandering from his station.

9Oil and perfume make glad the heart, and the wise suggestion of a friend is sweet to the soul.

10Do not give up your friend and your father's friend; and do not go into your brother's house in the day of your trouble: better is a neighbour who is near than a brother far off.

11My son, be wise and make my heart glad, so that I may give back an answer to him who puts me to shame.

12The sharp man sees the evil and takes cover: the simple go straight on and get into trouble.

13Take a man's clothing if he makes himself responsible for a strange man, and get an undertaking from him who gives his word for strange men.

14He who gives a blessing to his friend with a loud voice, getting up early in the morning, will have it put to his account as a curse.

15Like an unending dropping on a day of rain is a bitter-tongued woman.

16He who keeps secret the secret of his friend, will get himself a name for good faith.

17Iron makes iron sharp; so a man makes sharp his friend.

18Whoever keeps a fig-tree will have its fruit; and the servant waiting on his master will be honoured.

19Like face looking at face in water, so are the hearts of men to one another.

20The underworld and Abaddon are never full, and the eyes of man have never enough.

21The heating-pot is for silver and the oven-fire for gold, and a man is measured by what he is praised for.

22Even if a foolish man is crushed with a hammer in a vessel among crushed grain, still his foolish ways will not go from him.

23Take care to have knowledge about the condition of your flocks, looking well after your herds;

24For wealth is not for ever, and money does not go on for all generations.

25The grass comes up and the young grass is seen, and the mountain plants are got in.

26The lambs are for your clothing, and the he-goats make the value of a field:

27There will be goats' milk enough for your food, and for the support of your servant-girls.