| 1 An admonition can be inopportune, and a man may be wise to hold his peace. |
| 2 It is much better to admonish than to lose one's temper, for one who admits his fault will be kept from disgrace. |
| 3 Like a eunuch lusting for intimacy with a maiden is he who does right under compulsion. |
| 4 One man is silent and is thought wise, another is talkative and is disliked. |
| 5 One man is silent because he has nothing to say; another is silent, biding his time. |
| 6 A wise man is silent till the right time comes, but a boasting fool ignores the proper time. |
| 7 He who talks too much is detested; he who pretends to authority is hated. |
| 8 Some misfortunes bring success; some things gained are a man's loss. |
| 9 Some gifts do one no good, and some must be paid back double. |
| 10 Humiliation can follow fame, while from obscurity a man can lift up his head. |
| 11 A man may buy much for little, but pay for it seven times over. |
| 12 A wise man makes himself popular by a few words, but fools pour forth their blandishments in vain. |
| 13 A gift from a rogue will do you no good, for in his eyes his one gift is equal to seven. |
| 14 He gives little and criticizes often, and like a crier he shouts aloud. He lends today, he asks it back tomorrow; hateful indeed is such a man. |
| 15 A fool has no friends, nor thanks for his generosity; |
| 16 Those who eat his bread have an evil tongue. How many times they laugh him to scorn! |
| 17 A fall to the ground is less sudden than a slip of the tongue; that is why the downfall of the wicked comes so quickly. |
| 18 Insipid food is the untimely tale; the unruly are always ready to offer it. |
| 19 A proverb when spoken by a fool is unwelcome, for he does not utter it at the proper time. |
| 20 A man through want may be unable to sin, yet in this tranquility he cannot rest. |
| 21 One may lose his life through shame, and perish through a fool's intimidation. |
| 22 A man makes a promise to a friend out of shame, and has him for his enemy needlessly. |
| 23 A lie is a foul blot in a man, yet it is constantly on the lips of the unruly. |
| 24 Better a thief than an inveterate liar, yet both will suffer disgrace; |
| 25 A liar's way leads to dishonor, his shame remains ever with him. |
| 26 A wise man advances himself by his words, a prudent man pleases the great. |
| 27 He who works his land has abundant crops, he who pleases the great is pardoned his faults. |
| 28 Favors and gifts blind the eyes; like a muzzle over the mouth they silence reproof. |
| 29 Hidden wisdom and unseen treasure-- of what value is either? |
| 30 Better the man who hides his folly than the one who hides his wisdom. |