1 Never boast about tomorrow. You don't know what will happen between now and then.

2Let other people praise you—even strangers; never do it yourself.

3The weight of stone and sand is nothing compared to the trouble that stupidity can cause.

4Anger is cruel and destructive, but it is nothing compared to jealousy.

5Better to correct someone openly than to let him think you don't care for him at all.

6Friends mean well, even when they hurt you. But when an enemy puts his arm around your shoulder—watch out!

7When you are full, you will refuse honey, but when you are hungry, even bitter food tastes sweet.

8Anyone away from home is like a bird away from its nest.

9Perfume and fragrant oils make you feel happier, but trouble shatters your peace of mind.+

10Do not forget your friends or your father's friends. If you are in trouble, don't ask a relative for help; a nearby neighbor can help you more than relatives who are far away.

11Be wise, my child, and I will be happy; I will have an answer for anyone who criticizes me.

12Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later.

13Any people stupid enough to promise to be responsible for a stranger's debts+ deserve to have their own property held to guarantee payment.

14You might as well curse your friends as wake them up early in the morning with a loud greeting.

15A nagging wife is like water going drip-drip-drip on a rainy day. 16How can you keep her quiet? Have you ever tried to stop the wind or ever tried to hold a handful of oil?+

17People learn from one another, just as iron sharpens iron.

18Take care of a fig tree and you will have figs to eat. Servants who take care of their master will be honored.

19It is your own face that you see reflected in the water and it is your own self that you see in your heart.

20Human desires are like the world of the dead—there is always room for more.

21Fire tests gold and silver; a person's reputation can also be tested.

22Even if you beat fools half to death, you still can't beat their foolishness out of them.

23Look after your sheep and cattle as carefully as you can, 24because wealth is not permanent. Not even nations last forever. 25You cut the hay and then cut the grass on the hillsides while the next crop of hay is growing. 26You can make clothes from the wool of your sheep and buy land with the money you get from selling some of your goats. 27The rest of the goats will provide milk for you and your family, and for your servant women as well.