Online Bible

Warnings and Instructions

^aDo not boast about tomorrow,For you ^bdo not know what a day may bring.2 Let ^aanother praise you, and not your own mouth;A stranger, and not your own lips.3 A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.4 Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood,But ^awho can stand before jealousy?5 Better is ^aopen rebukeThan love that is concealed.6 Faithful are the ^awounds of a friend,But ¹deceitful are the ^bkisses of an enemy.7 A satisfied ¹person ²despises honey,But to a hungry ³person any bitter thing is sweet.8 Like a ^abird that wanders from its nest,So is a person who ^bwanders from his ¹home.9 ^aOil and perfume make the heart glad,And a ¹person’s advice is sweet to his friend.10 Do not abandon your ^afriend or ^byour father’s friend,And do not go to your brother’s house on the day of your disaster;Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.11 ^aBe wise, my son, and make my heart glad,So that I may ^breply to one who taunts me.12 A prudent person sees evil and hides himself;But the naive proceed, and pay the penalty.13 ^aTake his garment when he becomes a guarantor for a stranger;And for a foreign woman seize a pledge from him.14 ^aOne who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning,It will be considered a curse to him.15 A ^aconstant dripping on a day of steady rainAnd a contentious woman are alike;16 He who would ¹restrain her ²restrains the wind,And ³grasps oil with his right hand.17 As iron sharpens iron,So one person sharpens another.18 One who tends the ^afig tree will eat its fruit,And one who ^bcares for his master will be honored.19 As in water a face reflects the face,So the heart of a person reflects the person.20 ¹^aSheol and ²Abaddon are ^bnever satisfied,Nor are the ^ceyes of a person ever satisfied.21 The ^acrucible is for silver and the furnace for gold,And each ^bis tested by the praise accorded him.22 Though you ^apound the fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,His foolishness still will not leave him.

23 ^aKnow well the ¹condition of your flocks,And pay attention to your herds;24 For riches are not forever,Nor does a ^acrown endure to all generations.25 When the grass disappears, the new growth is seen,And the herbs of the mountains are ^agathered in,26 The lambs will be for your clothing,And the goats will bring the price of a field,27 And there will be enough goats’ milk for your food,For the food of your household,And sustenance for your attendants.

Instructions and Warnings

^aDo not boast about tomorrow,For you ^bdo not know what a day may bring forth.2 Let a ^astranger praise you, and not your own mouth;A foreigner, and not your own lips.3 A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,But the provocation of an ignorant fool is heavier than both of them.4 Wrath is cruelty and anger is a flood,But ^awho can stand before jealousy?5 Better is reproof that is ^arevealedThan love that is hidden.6 Faithful are the ^awounds of a friend,But ¹deceitful are the ^bkisses of an enemy.7 A satisfied soul tramples the honeycomb,But to a hungry soul any bitter thing is sweet.8 Like a ^abird that wanders from her nest,So is a man who ^bwanders from his place.9 ^aOil and incense make the heart glad,So counsel from the ¹soul is sweet to his friend.10 Do not forsake your ^afriend or ^byour father’s friend,And do not come to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster;Better is one who dwells near than a brother far away.11 ^aBe wise, my son, and make my heart glad,That I may ^brespond with a word to him who reproaches me.12 A prudent man sees evil and hides,The simple pass on and are punished.13 ^aTake his garment when he becomes a guarantor for a stranger;And for ¹a foreign woman seize it as a pledge.14 ^aHe who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning,It will be counted as a curse to him.15 A ^aconstant dripping on a day of steady rainAnd a contentious woman are alike;16 He who would ¹restrain her ²restrains the wind,And ³grasps oil with his right hand.17 Iron sharpens iron,So one man sharpens another.18 He who guards the ^afig tree will eat its fruit,And he who ^bkeeps watch for his master will be honored.19 As in water face reflects face,So the heart of man reflects man.20 ^aSheol and Abaddon are ^bnever satisfied,So the ^ceyes of man are never satisfied.21 The ^arefining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,And each ^bis tested by the mouth that praises him.22 Though you ^apound an ignorant fool in a mortar with a pestle in the midst of crushed grain,His ¹folly will not turn aside from him.

23 ^aKnow well the ¹condition of your flocks,And pay attention to your herds;24 For wealth is not forever,Neither is a ^acrown from generation to generation.25 When the grass disappears and the vegetation appears,And the herbs of the mountains are ^agathered in,26 The lambs will be for your clothing,And the goats will bring the price of a field,27 And there will be enough goats’ milk for your food,For the food of your household,And sustenance for your maidens.