27 Do not boast about tomorrow,

yfor you do not know what a day may bring.

2  Let zanother praise you, and not your own mouth;

a stranger, and not your own lips.

3  A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,

but aa fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

4  Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,

but who can stand before bjealousy?

5  cBetter is open rebuke

than hidden love.

6  Faithful are dthe wounds of a friend;

profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

7  One who is full loathes ehoney,

but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.

8  Like fa bird that strays from its nest

is a man who strays from his home.

9  gOil and perfume make the heart glad,

and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.1

10  Do not forsake your friend and hyour father’s friend,

and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity.

iBetter is a neighbor who is near

than a brother who is far away.

11  jBe wise, kmy son, and lmake my heart glad,

that I may manswer him who reproaches me.

12  nThe prudent sees danger and hides himself,

but othe simple go on and suffer for it.

13  pTake a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger,

and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.2

14  Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,

rising early in the morning,

will be counted as cursing.

15  qA continual dripping on a rainy day

and a quarrelsome wife are alike;

16  to restrain her is to restrain the wind

or to grasp3 oil in one’s right hand.

17  Iron sharpens iron,

and one man sharpens another.4

18  rWhoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,

and he who sguards his master will be honored.

19  As in water face reflects face,

so the heart of man reflects the man.

20  tSheol and Abaddon are unever satisfied,

and vnever satisfied are the eyes of man.

21  wThe crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,

and a man is tested by his praise.

22  xCrush a fool in a mortar with a pestle

along with crushed grain,

yet his folly will not depart from him.

23  yKnow well the condition of your flocks,

and ygive attention to your herds,

24  for zriches do not last forever;

and does a crown endure to all generations?

25  aWhen the grass is gone and the new growth appears

and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,

26  bthe lambs will provide your clothing,

and the goats the price of a field.

27  bThere will be enough goats’ milk for your food,

for the food of your household

and maintenance for your girls.