1 Beroem jou nie op die dag van môre nie, want jy weet nie wat die dag sal bring nie.
2 Laat 'n ander jou prys en nie jou eie mond nie; 'n vreemde, en nie jou eie lippe nie.
3 Swaar is 'n klip, en die sand het gewig; maar die ergernis oor 'n sot is swaarder as altwee.
4 Woede is wreed, en toorn kook oor; maar wie kan voor jaloersheid standhou?
5 Openlike teregwysing is beter as verborge liefde.
6 Die wonde deur een wat liefhet, is opreg bedoel, maar die soene deur 'n vyand is oorvloedig.
7 'n Versadigde siel vertrap die heuningstroop, maar vir 'n hongerige siel is alles wat bitter is, soet.
8 Soos 'n voël wat ver van sy nes af rondvlieg, so is 'n man wat ver van sy tuisplek af rondswerwe.
9 Olie en reukwerk verbly die hart, net so die aangenaamheid van 'n vriend vanweë welgemeende raad.
10 Moenie jou vriend en die vriend van jou vader verlaat nie, en kom nie in die huis van jou broer op die dag van jou teëspoed nie. 'n Buurman wat naby is, is beter as 'n broer wat ver is.
11 Wees wys, my seun, en verbly my hart, sodat ek hom wat my smaad, kan antwoord gee.
12 As 'n skrandere die onheil sien, verberg hy hom; maar die eenvoudiges gaan verder, word gestraf.
13 Neem sy kleed weg, want hy het vir 'n ander borg gestaan; en neem hom as pand vir 'n onbekende.
14 Wie vroeg in die môre sy naaste met 'n harde stem 'n seën toeroep, dit sal hom as 'n vloek aangereken word.
15 'n Aanhoudende gedrup op die dag van 'n stortreën en 'n twisgierige vrou is net eenders.
16 Wie haar wil teëhou, hou wind teë, en sy regterhand ontmoet olie.
17 Yster slyp yster, so slyp die een mens die persoon van die ander.
18 Wie 'n vyeboom oppas, sal sy vrugte eet; en hy wat vir sy heer sorg, sal geëer word.
19 Soos in die water aangesig teenoor aangesig is, so is die hart van die mens teenoor die mens.
20 Die doderyk en die plek van vertering word nie versadig nie; so word die oë van 'n mens nie versadig nie.
21 Die smeltkroes is vir die silwer en die oond vir die goud, so is 'n man volgens die roem wat hy geniet.
22 Al stamp jy die sot in 'n stampblok tussen graankorrels met 'n stamper, sy sotheid sal nie van hom wyk nie.
23 Gee noukeurig ag op die voorkoms van jou skape, rig jou aandag op die troppe vee;
24 want 'n skat is nie vir ewig nie -- of sal 'n kroon wees van geslag tot geslag?
25 As die gras verdwyn en die jong gras verskyn en die bossies van die berge bymekaargemaak word,
26 dan is daar lammers vir jou kleding en bokke as 'n koopprys vir grond,
27 en genoeg bokmelk as voeding vir jou huis en as lewensonderhoud vir jou diensmeisies.
1 Do not make a noise about tomorrow, for you are not certain what a day's outcome may be.
2 Let another man give you praise, and not your mouth; one who is strange to you, and not your lips.
3 A stone has great weight, and sand is crushing; but the wrath of the foolish is of greater weight than these.
4 Wrath is cruel, and angry feeling an overflowing stream; but who does not give way before envy?
5 Better is open protest than love kept secret.
6 The wounds of a friend are given in good faith, but the kisses of a hater are false.
7 The full man has no use for honey, but to the man in need of food every bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a bird wandering from the place of her eggs is a man wandering from his station.
9 Oil and perfume make glad the heart, and the wise suggestion of a friend is sweet to the soul.
10 Do 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.
11 My son, be wise and make my heart glad, so that I may give back an answer to him who puts me to shame.
12 The sharp man sees the evil and takes cover: the simple go straight on and get into trouble.
13 Take 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.
14 He 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.
15 Like an unending dropping on a day of rain is a bitter-tongued woman.
16 He who keeps secret the secret of his friend, will get himself a name for good faith.
17 Iron makes iron sharp; so a man makes sharp his friend.
18 Whoever keeps a fig-tree will have its fruit; and the servant waiting on his master will be honoured.
19 Like face looking at face in water, so are the hearts of men to one another.
20 The underworld and Abaddon are never full, and the eyes of man have never enough.
21 The heating-pot is for silver and the oven-fire for gold, and a man is measured by what he is praised for.
22 Even if a foolish man is crushed with a hammer in a vessel among crushed grain, still his foolish ways will not go from him.
23 Take care to have knowledge about the condition of your flocks, looking well after your herds;
24 For wealth is not for ever, and money does not go on for all generations.
25 The grass comes up and the young grass is seen, and the mountain plants are got in.
26 The lambs are for your clothing, and the he-goats make the value of a field:
27 There will be goats' milk enough for your food, and for the support of your servant-girls.