New Century Version NCV
New International Version NIV
1 Don't brag about tomorrow; you don't know what may happen then.
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Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
2 Don't praise yourself. Let someone else do it. Let the praise come from a stranger and not from your own mouth.
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Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.
3 Stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a complaining fool is worse than either.
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Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
4 Anger is cruel and destroys like a flood, but no one can put up with jealousy!
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Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?
5 It is better to correct someone openly than to have love and not show it.
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Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
6 The slap of a friend can be trusted to help you, but the kisses of an enemy are nothing but lies.
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Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.
7 When you are full, not even honey tastes good, but when you are hungry, even something bitter tastes sweet.
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One who is full loathes honey from the comb, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.
8 A person who leaves his home is like a bird that leaves its nest.
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Like a bird that flees its nest is anyone who flees from home.
9 The sweet smell of perfume and oils is pleasant, and so is good advice from a friend.
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Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.
10 Don't forget your friend or your parent's friend. Don't always go to your family for help when trouble comes. A neighbor close by is better than a family far away.
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Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you— better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.
11 Be wise, my child, and make me happy. Then I can respond to any insult.
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Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.
12 The wise see danger ahead and avoid it, but fools keep going and get into trouble.
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The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
13 Take the coat of someone who promises to pay a stranger's loan, and keep it until he pays what the stranger owes.
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Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.
14 If you loudly greet your neighbor early in the morning, he will think of it as a curse.
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If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.
15 A quarreling wife is as bothersome as a continual dripping on a rainy day.
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A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;
16 Stopping her is like stopping the wind or trying to grab oil in your hand.
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restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.
17 As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other.
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As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
18 Whoever tends a fig tree gets to eat its fruit, and whoever takes care of his master will receive honor.
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The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit, and whoever protects their master will be honored.
19 As water reflects your face, so your mind shows what kind of person you are.
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As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.
20 People will never stop dying and being destroyed, and they will never stop wanting more than they have.
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Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes.
21 A hot furnace tests silver and gold, and people are tested by the praise they receive.
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The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise.
22 Even if you ground up a foolish person like grain in a bowl, you couldn't remove the foolishness.
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Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding them like grain with a pestle, you will not remove their folly from them.
23 Be sure you know how your sheep are doing, and pay attention to the condition of your cattle.
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Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds;
24 Riches will not go on forever, nor do governments go on forever.
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for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.
25 Bring in the hay, and let the new grass appear. Gather the grass from the hills.
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When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
26 Make clothes from the lambs' wool, and sell some goats to buy a field.
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the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field.
27 There will be plenty of goat's milk to feed you and your family and to make your servant girls healthy.
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You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family and to nourish your female servants.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.