1Don’t brag about tomorrow.
You don’t know what a day will bring.
2Let another person praise you, and not your own mouth.
Let an outsider praise you, and not your own lips.
3Stones are heavy, and sand weighs a lot.
But letting a foolish person make you angry is a heavier load than both of them.
4Anger is mean, and great anger overpowers you.
But who can face jealousy?
5Being warned openly is better
than being loved in secret.
6Wounds from a friend can be trusted.
But an enemy kisses you many times.
7When you are full, you even hate honey.
When you are hungry, even what is bitter tastes sweet.
8Anyone who runs away from home
is like a bird that flies away from its nest.
9Perfume and incense bring joy to your heart.
And the sweetness of a friend comes from their honest advice.
10Don’t desert your friend or a friend of your family.
And don’t go to your relative’s house when trouble strikes you.
A neighbor nearby is better than a relative far away.
11My son, be wise and bring joy to my heart.
Then I can answer anyone who makes fun of me.
12Wise people see danger and go to a safe place.
But childish people keep on going and suffer for it.
13Take the coat of one who puts up money for what a stranger owes.
Hold it until you get paid back if it is done for an outsider.
14Suppose you loudly bless your neighbor early in the morning.
Then you might as well be cursing him.
15A nagging wife is like the dripping
of a leaky roof in a rainstorm.
16Stopping her is like trying to stop the wind.
It’s like trying to grab olive oil with your hand.
17As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.
18A person who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit.
And a person who protects their master will be honored.
19When you look into water, you see a likeness of your face.
When you look into your heart, you see what you are really like.
20Death and the Grave are never satisfied.
People’s eyes are never satisfied either.
21Fire tests silver, and heat tests gold.
But people are tested by the praise they receive.
22Suppose you could grind a foolish person in a mill.
Suppose you could grind them as you would grind grain with a tool.
Even then you could not remove their foolishness from them.
23Be sure you know how your flocks are doing.
Pay careful attention to your herds.
24Riches don’t last forever.
And a crown is not secure for all time to come.
25The hay is removed, and new growth appears.
The grass from the hills is gathered in.
26Then your lambs will provide you with clothes.
And the money from selling your goats will buy you a field.
27You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family.
It will also feed your female servants.
1Pral ikke med dine fremtidsplaner,
du ved jo ikke, hvad morgendagen bringer.
2Ros ikke dig selv,
men overlad det til andre.
3Sten og sand er tungt at bære,
men at udholde en tåbes provokationer er værre.
4Det er hårdt at møde vrede,
men bitter jalousi er dog værre.
5Kærlighed, der irettesætter,
er bedre end passiv kærlighed.
6Det er bedre at få kritik fra en ven
end skulderklap fra en fjende.
7Den, der er stopmæt, har ikke lyst til dessert,
men den sultne kan spise tørt brød.
8Som en fugl, der er kommet bort fra sin rede,
er den, der har måttet forlade sit hjem.
9Sande venner giver styrke til sjælen,
som aromatiske olier giver lindring til kroppen.
10Vedligehold dine venskaber,
både dine egne og dine forældres.
Når ulykken da rammer,
behøver du ikke søge hjælp hos en slægtning.
Det er bedre at have en god ven tæt på
end en slægtning langt borte.
11Når du vokser i visdom, min unge lærling, gør du mig glad,
for så har min undervisning dog båret frugt.
12Den fornuftige ser faren på forhånd og undgår den,
en tåbe vader videre og må tage konsekvensen.
13Den, der stiller kaution og tager imod pant fra fremmede,
risikerer at miste alt, hvad han ejer.27,13 Teksten er uklar og oversættelsen usikker.
14Hvis man for tidligt råber godmorgen til sin nabo,
bliver han irriteret i stedet for glad.
15En kone, der altid skælder ud,
er som vedvarende dryp fra et hul i taget.
16At få hende til at holde op
er som at prøve at fange vinden
eller holde fast på et stykke sæbe.
17Som jern skærper jern,
sådan skærper gode venner hinanden.
18Den, der passer et figentræ godt,
får del i frugten,
og den tjener, der passer sit arbejde godt,
får ære og ros fra sin herre.
19Dit ansigt kan du se i et spejl,
din karakter kan du se i dit hjerte.
20Død og ødelæggelse får aldrig ende,
et begærligt menneske får aldrig nok.
21Smeltning afslører guldets ægthed,
et menneskes omdømme viser dets karakter.
22Om du så hakkede en tåbe til plukfisk,
ville hans dumhed stadig hænge ved ham.
23Pas godt på dine får og geder,
sørg godt for hele din besætning.
24Ejendele og position kan man hurtigt miste,
selv kongen ved ikke, om hans søn arver tronen.
25Men når høet er høstet, og nyt græs spirer frem,
og når græsset på skråningerne er bragt i hus,
26da får du masser af uld til nyt tøj,
og du kan opkøbe jord ved at sælge dine geder.
27Tilmed har du rigeligt med gedemælk,
nok til dig selv, din familie og dine tjenestefolk.
