¹Don’t boast about tomorrow ;

for you don’t know what a day may bring .

²Let another man praise you ,

and not your own mouth ;

a stranger , and not your own lips .

³A stone is heavy ,

and sand is a burden;

but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both .

⁴Wrath is cruel,

and anger is overwhelming;

but who is able to stand before jealousy ?

⁵Better is open rebuke

than hidden love.

⁶The wounds of a friend are faithful,

although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

⁷A full soul loathes a honeycomb ;

but to a hungry soul , every bitter thing is sweet .

⁸As a bird that wanders from her nest ,

so is a man who wanders from his home .

⁹Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart ;

so does earnest counsel from a man ’s friend .

¹⁰Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend .

Don’t go to your brother ’s house in the day of your disaster .

A neighbour who is near is better than a distant brother .

¹¹Be wise , my son ,

and bring joy to my heart ,

then I can answer my tormentor.

¹²A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge;

but the simple pass on , and suffer for it .

¹³Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger .

Hold it for a wayward woman !

¹⁴He who blesses his neighbour with a loud voice early in the morning ,

it will be taken as a curse by him .

¹⁵A continual dropping on a rainy day

and a contentious wife are alike :

¹⁶restraining her is like restraining the wind ,

or like grasping oil in his right hand .

¹⁷Iron sharpens iron ;

so a man sharpens his friend ’s countenance .

¹⁸Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit .

He who looks after his master shall be honoured .

¹⁹Like water reflects a face ,

so a man ’s heart reflects the man .

²⁰Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied ;[#27:20 Sheol is the place of the dead.]

and a man’s eyes are never satisfied .

²¹The crucible is for silver ,

and the furnace for gold ;

but man is refined by his praise .

²²Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain ,

yet his foolishness will not be removed from him .

²³Know well the state of your flocks ,

and pay attention to your herds ,

²⁴for riches are not forever ,

nor does the crown endure to all generations .

²⁵The hay is removed , and the new growth appears ,

the grasses of the hills are gathered in .

²⁶The lambs are for your clothing ,

and the goats are the price of a field .

²⁷There will be plenty of goats ’ milk for your food ,

for your family ’s food ,

and for the nourishment of your servant girls .