27 Never brag about what you will do in the future; you have no idea what tomorrow will bring.

² Never praise yourself. Let others do it.

³ A stone is heavy, and sand is hard to carry, but the irritation caused by a fool is much harder to bear.

⁴ Anger is cruel and can destroy like a flood, but jealousy is much worse.

⁵ Open criticism is better than hidden love.

⁶ You can trust what your friend says, even when it hurts. But your enemies want to hurt you, even when they act nice.

⁷ When you are full, you will not even eat honey. When you are hungry, even something bitter tastes sweet.

⁸ A man away from home is like a bird away from its nest.

⁹ Perfume and incense make you feel good, and so does good advice from a friend.

¹⁰ Don’t forget your own friends or your father’s friends. If you have a problem, go to your neighbor for help. It is better to ask a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.

¹¹ My son, be wise. This will make me happy. Then I will be able to answer those who criticize me.

¹² Wise people see trouble coming and get out of its way, but fools go straight to the trouble and suffer for it.

¹³ When you make a deal with a stranger, get something from him and any other foreigners with him to make sure he will pay you.

¹⁴ Don’t wake up your neighbors early in the morning with a shout of “Good morning!” They will treat it like a curse, not a blessing.

¹⁵ A complaining wife is like water that never stops dripping on a rainy day. ¹⁶ Stopping her is like trying to stop the wind or trying to hold oil in your hand.

¹⁷ As one piece of iron sharpens another, so friends keep each other sharp.

¹⁸ People who take care of fig trees are allowed to eat the fruit. In the same way, people who take care of their masters will be rewarded.

¹⁹ Just as you can see your own face reflected in water, so your heart reflects the kind of person you are.

²⁰ Just as the place of death and destruction is never full, people always want more and more.

²¹ People use fire to purify gold and silver. In the same way, you are tested by the praise people give you.

²² Even if you pound fools to powder like grain in a bowl, you will never force the foolishness out of them.

²³ Learn all you can about your sheep. Take care of your goats the best you can. ²⁴ Neither wealth nor nations last forever. ²⁵ Cut the hay, and new grass will grow. Then gather the new plants that grow on the hills. ²⁶ Cut the wool from your lambs, and make your clothes. Sell some of your goats, and buy some land. ²⁷ Then there will be plenty of goat’s milk for you and your family, with enough to keep the servants healthy.