1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.3 A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both.4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is overflowing; but who is able to stand before jealousy?5 Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed.6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.7 The full soul tramples a honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.8 As a bird that wanders from its nest, so is a man who wanders from his place.9 Ointment and perfume make the heart glad; so does the sweetness of advice from the soul of one’s friend.10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; better is a neighbor that is near than a brother afar off.11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, so that I may have a word to answer him who reproaches me.12 A prudent person foresees the evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.13 Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger, and hold him in pledge for a foreign woman.14 He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.15 A continual dripping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.16 Whoever hides her hides the wind, and the ointment of his right hand calls out.17 As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.18 Whoever keeps the fig tree shall eat its fruit; so he who waits on his master shall be honored.19 As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects man.20 Sheol and Abaddon are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.21 As the refining pot for silver and the furnace for gold, so is the mouth for a man’s praise.22 Though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with the grain, his foolishness will not depart from him.23 Know and recognize the face of your flocks; set your heart on your herds.24 For riches are not forever; nor the crown from generation to generation.25 When the hay is removed, and the tender grass is visible, and mountain herbs are gathered,26 the lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.27 And you shall have enough goats’ milk for your food, for the food of your household, and the sustenance of your maidens.

1 Haue thou not glorie on the morewe, `not knowynge what thing the dai to comynge schal bringe forth.2 Another man, and not thi mouth preise thee; a straunger, and not thi lippis `preise thee.3 A stoon is heuy, and grauel is chariouse; but the ire of a fool is heuyere than euer eithir.4 Ire hath no merci, and woodnesse brekynge out `hath no merci; and who mai suffre the fersnesse of a spirit stirid?5 Betere is opyn repreuyng, than loue hid.6 Betere ben the woundis of hym that loueth, than the gileful cossis of hym that hatith.7 A man fillid schal dispise an hony coomb; but an hungri man schal take, yhe, bittir thing for swete.8 As a brid passinge ouer fro his nest, so is a man that forsakith his place.9 The herte delitith in oynement, and dyuerse odours; and a soule is maad swete bi the good counsels of a frend.10 Forsake thou not thi frend, and the frend of thi fadir; and entre thou not in to the hous of thi brothir, in the dai of thi turment. Betere is a neiybore nyy, than a brothir afer.11 Mi sone, studie thou a boute wisdom, and make thou glad myn herte; that thou maist answere a word to a dispisere.12 A fel man seynge yuel was hid; litle men of wit passinge forth suffriden harmes.13 Take thou awei his clooth, that bihiyte for a straunger; and take thou awei a wed fro hym for an alien man.14 He that blessith his neiybore with greet vois; and risith bi niyt, schal be lijk hym that cursith.15 Roouys droppynge in the dai of coold, and a womman ful of chidyng ben comparisond.16 He that withholdith hir, as if he holdith wynd; and auoidith the oile of his riyt hond.17 Yrun is whettid bi irun; and a man whettith the face of his frend.18 He that kepith a fige tre, schal ete the fruytis therof; and he that is a kepere of his lord, schal be glorified.19 As the cheris of men biholdinge schynen in watris; so the hertis of men ben opyn to prudent men.20 Helle and perdicioun schulen not be fillid; so and the iyen of men moun not be fillid.21 As siluer is preuyd in a wellyng place, and gold `is preued in a furneys; so a man is preued bi the mouth of preyseris. The herte of a wickid man sekith out yuels; but a riytful herte sekith out kunnyng.22 Thouy thou beetist a fool in a morter, as with a pestel smytynge aboue dried barli; his foli schal not be don awei fro him.23 Knowe thou diligentli the cheere of thi beeste; and biholde thou thi flockis.24 For thou schalt not haue power contynueli; but a coroun schal be youun to thee in generacioun and in to generacioun.25 Medewis ben openyd, and greene eerbis apperiden; and hey is gaderid fro hillis.26 Lambren be to thi clothing; and kidis be to the prijs of feeld.27 The mylke of geete suffice to thee for thi meetis; in to the necessarie thingis of thin hous, and to lijflode to thin handmaidis.