All About Life

1 Do not make a noise about tomorrow, for you are not certain what a day's outcome may be.

1 (A)Do not boast about tomorrow,For you (B)do not know what a day may bring forth.

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

1 Don’t boast about tomorrow,for you don’t know what a day might bring.(A)

1 Never brag about the day to come, because you don't know what it might bring.

2 Let another man give you praise, and not your mouth; one who is strange to you, and not your lips.

2 Let (C)another praise you, and not your own mouth;A stranger, and not your own lips.

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

2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth—a stranger, and not your own lips.(B)

2 Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth; a stranger, and never your own lips.

3 A stone has great weight, and sand is crushing; but the wrath of the foolish is of greater weight than these.

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

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

3 A stone is heavy and sand, a burden,but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.

3 Rocks are heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool's provocation outweighs them both.

4 Wrath is cruel, and angry feeling an overflowing stream; but who does not give way before envy?

4 Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood,But (D)who can stand before jealousy?

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

4 Fury is cruel, and anger a flood,but who can withstand jealousy?(C)

4 Wrath can be fierce and anger overwhelms but who can stand up to jealousy?

5 Better is open protest than love kept secret.

5 Better is (E)open rebukeThan love that is concealed.

5 Open rebuke is better than secret love.

5 Better an open reprimandthan concealed love.(D)

5 An open rebuke is better than unspoken love.

6 The wounds of a friend are given in good faith, but the kisses of a hater are false.

6 Faithful are the (F)wounds of a friend,But (a)deceitful are the (G)kisses of an enemy.

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

6 The wounds of a friend are trustworthy,(E)but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.(F)

6 Wounds from someone who loves are trustworthy, but kisses from an enemy speak volumes.

7 The full man has no use for honey, but to the man in need of food every bitter thing is sweet.

7 A sated (b)man (c)loathes honey,But to a famished (d)man any bitter thing is sweet.

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

7 A person who is full tramples on a honeycomb,(G)but to a hungry person, any bitter thing is sweet.

7 The person who is full spurns honey, but to a hungry person even the bitter seems sweet.

8 Like a bird wandering from the place of her eggs is a man wandering from his station.

8 Like a (H)bird that wanders from her nest,So is a man who (I)wanders from his (e)home.

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

8 A man wandering from his homeis like a bird wandering from its nest.(H)

8 Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who wanders away from his home.

9 Oil and perfume make glad the heart, and the wise suggestion of a friend is sweet to the soul.

9 (J)Oil and perfume make the heart glad,So a (f)man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.

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

9 Oil(I) and incense bring joy to the heart,and the sweetness of a friend is better than self-counsel.(a)

9 Ointments and perfume encourage the heart; in a similar way, a friend's advice is sweet to the soul.

10 Do not give up your friend and your father's friend; and do not go into your brother's house in the day of your trouble: better is a neighbour who is near than a brother far off.

10 Do not forsake your own (K)friend or (L)your father’s friend,And do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.

10 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.

10 Don’t abandon your friend or your father’s friend,(J)and don’t go to your brother’s housein your time of calamity;better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.(K)

10 Never abandon your friend nor your father's friend, and don't go to your brother's house in times of trouble. A neighbor who is near is better than a brother who lives far away.

11 My son, be wise and make my heart glad, so that I may give back an answer to him who puts me to shame.

11 (M)Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,That I may (N)reply to him who reproaches me.

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

11 Be wise, my son, and bring my heart joy,(L)so that I can answer anyone who taunts me.(M)

11 Be wise, my son, and make me happy, so I can reply to anyone who insults me.

12 The sharp man sees the evil and takes cover: the simple go straight on and get into trouble.

12 A prudent man sees evil and hides himself,The (g)naive proceed and pay the penalty.

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

12 A sensible person sees danger and takes cover;the inexperienced keep going and are punished.(N)

12 Those who are prudent see danger and take refuge, but the naive continue on and suffer the consequences.

13 Take a man's clothing if he makes himself responsible for a strange man, and get an undertaking from him who gives his word for strange men.

13 (O)Take his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger;And for an (h)adulterous woman hold him in pledge.

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

13 Take his garment,(b)for he has put up security for a stranger;get collateral if it is for foreigners.(c)(O)

13 Take the coat of anyone who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if he cosigns for an immoral woman.

14 He who gives a blessing to his friend with a loud voice, getting up early in the morning, will have it put to his account as a curse.

14 (P)He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning,It will be reckoned a curse to him.

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

14 If one blesses his neighborwith a loud voice early in the morning,it will be counted as a curse to him.

14 A friend's loud blessing early in the morning will be thought of as a curse.

15 Like an unending dropping on a day of rain is a bitter-tongued woman.

15 A (Q)constant dripping on a day of steady rainAnd a contentious woman are alike;

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

15 An endless dripping on a rainy dayand a nagging wife are alike.(P)

15 A continual dripping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike.

16 He who keeps secret the secret of his friend, will get himself a name for good faith.

16 He who would (i)restrain her (j)restrains the wind,And (k)grasps oil with his right hand.

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

16 The one who controls her controls the windand grasps oil with his right hand.

16 Trying to keep her in check is like stopping a wind storm or grabbing oil with your right hand.

17 Iron makes iron sharp; so a man makes sharp his friend.

17 Iron sharpens iron,So one man sharpens another.

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

17 Iron sharpens iron,and one man sharpens another.(d)

17 Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens a friend's character.

18 Whoever keeps a fig-tree will have its fruit; and the servant waiting on his master will be honoured.

18 He who tends the (R)fig tree will eat its fruit,And he who (S)cares for his master will be honored.

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

18 Whoever tends a fig tree(Q) will eat its fruit,(R)and whoever looks after his master will be honored.

18 Whoever nurtures the fig tree will eat its fruit, and whoever obeys his master will be honored.

19 Like face looking at face in water, so are the hearts of men to one another.

19 As in water face reflects face,So the heart of man reflects man.

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

19 As water reflects the face,so the heart reflects the person.

19 Just as water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the person.

20 The underworld and Abaddon are never full, and the eyes of man have never enough.

20 (l)(T)Sheol and (m)Abaddon are (U)never satisfied,Nor are the (V)eyes of man ever satisfied.

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

20 Sheol and Abaddon(S) are never satisfied,(T)and people’s eyes are never satisfied.(U)

20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satiated, and neither are human eyes.

21 The heating-pot is for silver and the oven-fire for gold, and a man is measured by what he is praised for.

21 The (W)crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold,And each (X)is tested by the praise accorded him.

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

21 A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold,and a man for the words of his praise.(e)(V)

21 As the crucible tests silver, and the furnace assays gold; so praise received tests a man.

22 Even if a foolish man is crushed with a hammer in a vessel among crushed grain, still his foolish ways will not go from him.

22 Though you (Y)pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

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

22 Though you grind a foolin a mortar with a pestle along with grain,you will not separate his foolishness from him.(W)

22 Though you crush a fool in a mortar and pestle as someone might crush grain, his stupidity still won't leave him.

23 Take care to have knowledge about the condition of your flocks, looking well after your herds;

23 (Z)Know well the (n)condition of your flocks,And pay attention to your herds;

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

23 Know well the condition of your flock,(X)and pay attention to your herds,

23 Keep well informed of the condition of your flocks and pay attention to your herds,

24 For wealth is not for ever, and money does not go on for all generations.

24 For riches are not forever,Nor does a (AA)crown endure to all generations.

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

24 for wealth is not forever;(Y)not even a crown lasts for all time.

24 because riches don't endure forever, and crowns don't last from one generation to the next.

25 The grass comes up and the young grass is seen, and the mountain plants are got in.

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

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

25 When hay is removed and new growth appearsand the grain from the hills is gathered in,

25 When the grass disappears, and new growth appears, the mountain spices will be harvested,

26 The lambs are for your clothing, and the he-goats make the value of a field:

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

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

26 lambs will provide your clothing,and goats, the price of a field;

26 the lambs will supply your clothing, and your goats the price of a field.

27 There will be goats' milk enough for your food, and for the support of your servant-girls.

27 And there will be goats’ milk enough for your food,For the food of your household,And sustenance for your maidens.

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

27 there will be enough goat’s milk for your food—food for your householdand nourishment for your female servants.(Z) >

27 You will have enough goat's milk to drink and to supply your household needs, as well as sustenance for your servant girls.

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

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