Study Desk

Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring.

Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.

Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.

A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.

Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, But who can stand before jealousy?

Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

Better is open rebuke Than love that is concealed.

Open rebuke is better than secret love.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

A satisfied person despises honey, But to a hungry person any bitter thing is sweet.

The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

Like a bird that wanders from its nest, So is a person who wanders from his home.

As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.

Oil and perfume make the heart glad, And a person's advice is sweet to his friend.

Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.

Do not abandon your friend or your 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.

Thine 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.

Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, So that I may reply to one who taunts me.

My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.

A prudent person sees evil and hides himself; But the naive proceed, and pay the penalty.

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

Take his garment when he becomes a guarantor for a stranger; And for a foreign woman seize a pledge from him.

Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

One who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, It will be considered a curse to him.

He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.

A constant dripping on a day of steady rain And a contentious woman are alike;

A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.

He who would restrain her restrains the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand.

Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.

As iron sharpens iron, So one person sharpens another.

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

One who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, And one who cares for his master will be honored.

Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.

As in water a face reflects the face, So the heart of a person reflects the person.

As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.

Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, Nor are the eyes of a person ever satisfied.

Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, And each is tested by the praise accorded him.

As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.

Though you pound the fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, His foolishness still will not leave him.

Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

Know well the condition of your flocks, And pay attention to your herds;

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.

For riches are not forever, Nor does a crown endure to all generations.

For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?

When the grass disappears, the new growth is seen, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,

The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.

The lambs will be for your clothing, And the goats will bring the price of a field,

The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.

And there will be enough goats' milk for your food, For the food of your household, And sustenance for your attendants.

And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.