15¹ A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.

² Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise; fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.

³ God doesn't miss a thing - he's alert to good and evil alike.

⁴ Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim.

⁵ Moral dropouts won't listen to their elders; welcoming correction is a mark of good sense.

⁶ The lives of God-loyal people flourish; a misspent life is soon bankrupt.

⁷ Perceptive words spread knowledge; fools are hollow - there's nothing to them.

⁸ God can't stand pious poses, but he delights in genuine prayers.

⁹ A life frittered away disgusts God; he loves those who run straight for the finish line.

¹⁰ It's a school of hard knocks for those who leave God's path, a dead-end street for those who hate God's rules.

¹¹ Even hell holds no secrets from God - do you think he can't read human hearts? Life Ascends to the Heights

¹² Know-it-alls don't like being told what to do; they avoid the company of wise men and women.

¹³ A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.

¹⁴ An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth; fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies.

¹⁵ A miserable heart means a miserable life; a cheerful heart fills the day with song.

¹⁶ A simple life in the Fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches. ¹⁷ Better a bread crust shared in love than a slab of prime rib served in hate.

¹⁸ Hot tempers start fights; a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace.

¹⁹ The path of lazy people is overgrown with briers; the diligent walk down a smooth road.

²⁰ Intelligent children make their parents proud; lazy students embarrass their parents.

²¹ The empty-headed treat life as a plaything; the perceptive grasp its meaning and make a go of it.

²² Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed.

²³ Congenial conversation - what a pleasure! The right word at the right time - beautiful!

²⁴ Life ascends to the heights for the thoughtful - it's a clean about-face from descent into hell.

²⁵ God smashes the pretensions of the arrogant; he stands with those who have no standing.

²⁶ God can't stand evil scheming, but he puts words of grace and beauty on display.

²⁷ A greedy and grasping person destroys community; those who refuse to exploit live and let live.

²⁸ Prayerful answers come from God-loyal people; the wicked are sewers of abuse.

²⁹ God keeps his distance from the wicked; he closely attends to the prayers of God-loyal people.

³⁰ A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart, and good news makes you feel fit as a fiddle.

³¹ Listen to good advice if you want to live well, an honored guest among wise men and women.

³² An undisciplined, self-willed life is puny; an obedient, God-willed life is spacious.

³³ Fear-of-God is a school in skilled living - first you learn humility, then you experience glory.

Exhortations to Obedience

3¹ Good friend, don't forget all I've taught you; take to heart my commands. ² They'll help you live a long, long time, a long life lived full and well. ³ Don't lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. ⁴ Earn a reputation for living well in God's eyes and the eyes of the people. ⁵ Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. ⁶ Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track.

⁷ Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! ⁸ Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! ⁹ Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. ¹⁰ Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. ¹¹ But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline; don't sulk under his loving correction. ¹² It's the child he loves that God corrects; a father's delight is behind all this. The Very Tree of Life

¹³ You're blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom, when you make friends with Madame Insight. ¹⁴ She's worth far more than money in the bank; her friendship is better than a big salary. ¹⁵ Her value exceeds all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her. ¹⁶ With one hand she gives long life, with the other she confers recognition. ¹⁷ Her manner is beautiful, her life wonderfully complete. ¹⁸ She's the very Tree of Life to those who embrace her. Hold her tight - and be blessed! ¹⁹ With Lady Wisdom, God formed Earth; with Madame Insight, he raised Heaven. ²⁰ They knew when to signal rivers and springs to the surface, and dew to descend from the night skies. Never Walk Away

²¹ Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life; don't for a minute lose sight of them. ²² They'll keep your soul alive and well, they'll keep you fit and attractive. ²³ You'll travel safely, you'll neither tire nor trip. ²⁴ You'll take afternoon naps without a worry, you'll enjoy a good night's sleep. ²⁵ No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday's just around the corner, ²⁶ Because God will be right there with you; he'll keep you safe and sound.

²⁷ Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God's hand for that person. ²⁸ Don't tell your neighbor, "Maybe some other time," or, "Try me tomorrow," when the money's right there in your pocket. ²⁹ Don't figure ways of taking advantage of your neighbor when he's sitting there trusting and unsuspecting. ³⁰ Don't walk around with a chip on your shoulder, always spoiling for a fight. ³¹ Don't try to be like those who shoulder their way through life. Why be a bully? ³² "Why not?" you say. Because God can't stand twisted souls. It's the straightforward who get his respect. ³³ God's curse blights the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. ³⁴ He gives proud skeptics a cold shoulder, but if you're down on your luck, he's right there to help. ³⁵ Wise living gets rewarded with honor; stupid living gets the booby prize.