19¹ Better to be poor and honest than a rich person no one can trust.

² Ignorant zeal is worthless; haste makes waste.

³ People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does God always get blamed?

⁴ Wealth attracts friends as honey draws flies, but poor people are avoided like a plague.

⁵ Perjury won't go unpunished. Would you let a liar go free?

⁶ Lots of people flock around a generous person; everyone's a friend to the philanthropist. ⁷ When you're down on your luck, even your family avoids you - yes, even your best friends wish you'd get lost. If they see you coming, they look the other way - out of sight, out of mind.

⁸ Grow a wise heart - you'll do yourself a favor; keep a clear head - you'll find a good life.

⁹ The person who tells lies gets caught; the person who spreads rumors is ruined.

¹⁰ Blockheads shouldn't live on easy street any more than workers should give orders to their boss.

¹¹ Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget.

¹² Mean-tempered leaders are like mad dogs; the good-natured are like fresh morning dew.

¹³ A parent is worn to a frazzle by a stupid child; a nagging spouse is a leaky faucet.

¹⁴ House and land are handed down from parents, but a congenial spouse comes straight from God.

¹⁵ Life collapses on loafers; lazybones go hungry.

¹⁶ Keep the rules and keep your life; careless living kills.

¹⁷ Mercy to the needy is a loan to God, and God pays back those loans in full.

¹⁸ Discipline your children while you still have the chance; indulging them destroys them.

¹⁹ Let angry people endure the backlash of their own anger; if you try to make it better, you'll only make it worse.

²⁰ Take good counsel and accept correction - that's the way to live wisely and well.

²¹ We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God's purpose prevails.

²² It's only human to want to make a buck, but it's better to be poor than a liar.

²³ Fear-of-God is life itself, a full life, and serene - no nasty surprises.

²⁴ Some people dig a fork into the pie but are too lazy to raise it to their mouth.

²⁵ Punish the insolent - make an example of them. Who knows? Somebody might learn a good lesson.

²⁶ Kids who lash out against their parents are an embarrassment and disgrace.

²⁷ If you quit listening, dear child, and strike off on your own, you'll soon be out of your depth.

²⁸ An unprincipled witness desecrates justice; the mouths of the wicked spew malice.

²⁹ The irreverent have to learn reverence the hard way; only a slap in the face brings fools to attention.

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.