1 Do not brag about tomorrow, because you do not know what another day may bring. 2 Praise should come from another person and not from your own mouth, from a stranger and not from your own lips. 3 A stone is heavy, and sand weighs a lot, but annoyance caused by a stubborn fool is heavier than both. 4 Anger is cruel, and fury is overwhelming, but who can survive jealousy? 5 Open criticism is better than unexpressed love. 6 Wounds made by a friend are intended to help, but an enemy's kisses are too much to bear. 7 One who is full despises honey, but to one who is hungry, even bitter food tastes sweet. 8 Like a bird wandering from its nest, so is a husband wandering from his home. 9 Perfume and incense make the heart glad, but the sweetness of a friend is a fragrant forest. 10 Do not abandon your friend or your father's friend. Do not go to a relative's home when you are in trouble. A neighbor living nearby is better than a relative far away. 11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad so that I can answer anyone who criticizes me. 12 Sensible people foresee trouble and hide. Gullible people go ahead and suffer. 13 Hold on to the garment of one who guarantees a stranger's loan, and hold responsible the person who makes a loan in behalf of a foreigner. 14 Whoever blesses his friend early in the morning with a loud voice- his blessing is considered a curse. 15 Constantly dripping water on a rainy day is like a quarreling woman. 16 Whoever can control her can control the wind. He can even pick up olive oil with his right hand. 17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens the wits of another. 18 Whoever takes care of a fig tree can eat its fruit, and whoever protects his master is honored. 19 As a face is reflected in water, so a person is reflected by his heart. 20 Hell and decay are never satisfied, and a person's eyes are never satisfied. 21 The crucible is for refining silver and the smelter for gold, but a person is tested by the praise given to him. 22 If you crush a stubborn fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, even then his stupidity will not leave him. 23 Be fully aware of the condition of your flock, and pay close attention to your herds. 24 Wealth is not forever. Nor does a crown last from one generation to the next. 25 When grass is cut short, the tender growth appears, and vegetables are gathered on the hills. 26 Lambs will provide you with clothing, and the money from the male goats will buy a field. 27 There will be enough goat milk to feed you, to feed your family, and to keep your servant girls alive. GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Quotations are used by permission. Copyright 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. | |