¶ Boast¹ not thyself of to morrow²; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

¶³Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

¶ A stone is heavy⁴, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.

Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous⁵; but⁶ who is able to stand before envy⁷?

¶⁸Open rebuke is better than secret love.

Faithful are the wounds⁹ of a friend; but the kisses¹⁰ of an enemy are deceitful¹¹.

¶ The full¹² soul loatheth¹³ an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

¶ As a bird¹⁴ that wandereth from her nest, so is a man¹⁵ that wandereth from his place.

¶ Ointment¹⁶ and perfume rejoice the heart: so¹⁷ doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel¹⁸.

¶ Thine own¹⁹ friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither²⁰ go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better²¹ is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.

¶ My son, be wise²², and make my heart glad, that I²³ may answer him that reproacheth me.

¶²⁴A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

¶²⁵Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

¶ He that²⁶ blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.

¶ A continual²⁷ dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.

Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment²⁸ of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.

¶ Iron²⁹ sharpeneth iron; so³⁰ a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

¶ Whoso keepeth³¹ the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so³² he that waiteth on his master shall be³³ honoured.

¶ As in³⁴ water face answereth to face, so³⁵ the heart of man to man.

¶ Hell³⁶ and destruction are never³⁷ full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

¶ As the fining³⁸ pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so³⁹ is a man to his praise.

¶⁴⁰Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

¶ Be thou diligent⁴¹ to know the state of thy flocks, and look well⁴² to thy herds.

For⁴³ riches⁴⁴ are not for ever: and doth⁴⁵ the crown endure to every generation⁴⁶?

The hay⁴⁷ appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.

⁴⁸The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.

And thou shalt have goats' milk enough⁴⁹ for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance⁵⁰ for thy maidens.