1不要為明天誇口，
因為你不知明天會怎樣。
2讓別人誇獎你，不要開口自誇；
讓外人稱讚你，不要自吹自擂。
3石頭沉，沙土重，
不如愚人惹的麻煩重。
4暴怒固然殘酷，
憤恨好比狂瀾，
然而嫉妒更是無人能敵。
5開誠佈公的責備勝過隱藏的愛。
6朋友加的創傷出自真誠，
仇敵連連親吻卻是多餘。
7飽足的人連蜂蜜也嫌棄，
饑餓的人吃苦食也甘甜。
8離鄉背井的人就像離巢的飛鳥。
9膏油和香料使人暢快，
朋友的勸誡更加甘甜。
10不可拋棄你的朋友和父親的至交。
患難時別投靠兄弟，
近鄰勝過遠親。
11孩子啊，你要做智者，
使我的心喜樂，
我好回答譏笑我的人。
12明哲人遇禍躲避，
愚昧人前去受害。
13誰為陌生人作保，
就拿誰的衣服；
誰為淫婦作保，
誰就得交抵押。
14清早高聲為鄰舍祝福，
無異於咒詛他。
15喋喋不休的婦人，
就像雨天房屋漏個不停；
16想制止她猶如制止狂風，
又像用手抓油一樣困難。
17朋友互相切磋，
如鐵磨鐵越磨越利。
18看無花果樹的吃無花果，
照顧主人的也必得尊榮。
19水能映照人的面貌，
心能反映人的本相。
20陰間和死亡填不滿，
人的眼目永不滿足。
21鼎煉銀，爐煉金，
讚美也考驗人。
22就算把愚人放在臼裡與麥子一起搗碎，
他仍然難脫愚昧。
23你要瞭解你的羊群，
小心照料你的牲畜。
24因為錢財有用盡時，
冠冕不能萬代長存。
25乾草割去，嫩草長出，
山間的野草都被收起來。
26小羊的皮毛可做衣服，
賣山羊的錢可買田地，
27母山羊的奶足夠你和家人喝，
也夠養活你的僕婢。
1Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.27.1 to…: Heb. to morrow day 2Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
3A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both.27.3 heavy: Heb. heaviness 4Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?27.4 Wrath…: Heb. Wrath is cruelty, and anger an overflowing27.4 envy: or, jealousy?
5Open rebuke is better than secret love. 6Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.27.6 deceitful: or, earnest, or, frequent 7The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.27.7 loatheth: Heb. treadeth under foot 8As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.
9Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.27.9 by…: Heb. from the counsel of the soul 10Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off. 11My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me. 12A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished. 13Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman. 14He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.
15A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. 16Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself. 17Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. 18Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured. 19As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man. 20Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.27.20 never: Heb. not 21As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise. 22Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
23Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.27.23 look…: Heb. set thy heart 24For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?27.24 riches: Heb. strength27.24 to…: Heb. to generation and generation? 25The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered. 26The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field. 27And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.27.27 maintenance: Heb. life
