Contemporary English Version Don't Brag about TomorrowEach day brings its own surprises. 2Don't brag about yourself— let others praise you. 3Stones and sand are heavy, but trouble caused by a fool is a much heavier load. 4An angry person is dangerous, but a jealous person is even worse. 5A truly good friend will openly correct you. 6You can trust a friend who corrects you, but kisses from an enemy are nothing but lies. 7If you have had enough to eat, honey doesn't taste good, but if you are really hungry, you will eat anything. 8When you are far from home, you feel like a bird without a nest. 9The sweet smell of incense can make you feel good, but true friendship is better still.+ 10Don't desert an old friend of your family or visit your relatives when you are in trouble. A friend nearby is better than relatives far away. 11My child, show good sense! Then I will be happy and able to answer anyone who criticizes me. 12Be cautious and hide when you see danger— don't be stupid and walk right into trouble. 13You deserve to lose your coat if you loan it to someone to guarantee payment for the debt of a stranger. 14A loud greeting early in the morning is the same as a curse. 15The steady dripping of rain and the nagging of a wife are one and the same. 16It's easier to catch the wind or hold olive oil in your hand than to stop a nagging wife. 17Just as iron sharpens iron, friends sharpen the minds of each other. 18Take care of a tree, and you will eat its fruit; look after your master, and you will be praised. 19You see your face in a mirror and your thoughts in the minds of others. 20Death and the grave are never satisfied, and neither are humans. 21Gold and silver are tested in a red-hot furnace, but we are tested by praise. 22No matter how hard you beat a fool, you can't pound out the foolishness. 23You should take good care of your sheep and goats, 24because wealth and honor don't last forever. 25After the hay is cut and the new growth appears and the harvest is over, 26you can sell lambs and goats to buy clothes and land. 27From the milk of the goats, you can make enough cheese to feed your family and all your servants. Footnotes: Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®) © 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (www.americanbible.org). Learn more at www.cev.bible. Discover .BIBLE resources for your ministry at www.get.bible/cev Home |