¹Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring forth.

¹Ros dig ikke af Dagen i Morgen, du ved jo ikke, hvad Dag kan bringe.

²Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

²Lad en anden rose dig, ikke din Mund, en fremmed, ikke dine egne Læber.

³A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

³Sten er tung, og Sand vejer til, men tung fremfor begge er Dårers Galde.

⁴Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?

⁴Vrede er grum, og Harme skummer, men Skinsyge, hvo kan stå for den?

⁵Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

⁵Hellere åbenlys Revselse end Kærlighed, der skjules.

⁶Faithful are the wounds of a friend; although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

⁶Vennehånds Hug er ærligt mente, Avindsmands Kys er mange.

⁷A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.

⁷Den mætte vrager Honning, alt beskt er sødt for den sultne.

⁸As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home.

⁸Som Fugl, der må fly fra sin Rede, er Mand, der må fly fra sit Hjem:

⁹Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.

⁹Olie og Røgelse fryder Sindet, men Sjælen sønderslides af Kummer.

¹⁰Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend. Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster: better is a neighbor who is near than a distant brother.

¹⁰Slip ikke din Ven og din Faders Ven, gå ej til din Broders Hus på din Ulykkes Dag. Bedre er Nabo ved Hånden end Broder i det fjerne.

¹¹Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.

¹¹Vær viis, min Søn, og glæd mit Hjerte, at jeg kan svare den, der smæder mig.

¹²A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

¹²Den kloge ser Faren og søger i Skjul, tankeløse går videre og bøder,

¹³Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!

¹³Tag hans Klæder, han borged for en anden, pant ham for fremmedes Skyld!

¹⁴He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse by him.

¹⁴Den, som årle højlydt velsigner sin Næste, han får det regnet for Banden.

¹⁵A continual dropping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike:

¹⁵Ustandseligt Tagdryp en Regnvejrsdag og trættekær Kvinde ligner hinanden;

¹⁶restraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil in his right hand.

¹⁶den, som vil skjule hende, skjuler Vind, og hans højre griber i Olie.

¹⁷Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.

¹⁷Jern skærpes med Jern, det ene Menneske skærper det andet.

¹⁸Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after his master shall be honored.

¹⁸Røgter man et Figentræ, spiser man dets Frugt; den, der vogter sin Herre, æres.

¹⁹As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.

¹⁹Som i Vandspejlet Ansigt møder Ansigt, slår Menneskehjerte Menneske i Møde.

²⁰ Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man’s eyes are never satisfied.

²⁰Dødsrige og Afgrund kan ikke mættes, ej heller kan Menneskens Øjne mættes.

²¹The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise.

²¹Digel til Sølv og Ovn til Guld, efter sit Ry bedømmes en Mand.

²²Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.

²²Om du knuste en Dåre i Morter med Støder midt imellem Gryn, hans Dårskab veg dog ej fra ham.

²³Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds:

²³Mærk dig, hvorledes dit Småkvæg ser ud, hav Omhu for dine Hjorde;

²⁴for riches are not forever, nor does even the crown endure to all generations.

²⁴thi Velstand varer ej evigt, Rigdom ikke fra Slægt til Slægt;

²⁵The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in.

²⁵er Sommergræsset svundet, Grønt spiret frem, og sankes Bjergenes Urter,

²⁶The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field.

²⁶da har du Lam til at give dig Klæder og Bukke til at købe en Mark,

²⁷There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.

²⁷Gedemælk til Mad for dig og dit Hus, til Livets Ophold for dine Piger.