61 Dear friend, if you've gone into hock with your neighbor or locked yourself into a deal with a stranger, 2 If you've impulsively promised the shirt off your back and now find yourself shivering out in the cold, 3 Friend, don't waste a minute, get yourself out of that mess. You're in that man's clutches! Go, put on a long face; act desperate. 4 Don't procrastinate - there's no time to lose. 5 Run like a deer from the hunter, fly like a bird from the trapper! A Lesson from the Ant
6 You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. 7 Nobody has to tell it what to do. 8 All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. 9 So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? 10 A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy - do you know what comes next? 11 Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest! Always Cooking Up Something Nasty
12 Riffraff and rascals talk out of both sides of their mouths. 13 They wink at each other, they shuffle their feet, they cross their fingers behind their backs. 14 Their perverse minds are always cooking up something nasty, always stirring up trouble. 15 Catastrophe is just around the corner for them, a total smash-up, their lives ruined beyond repair. Seven Things God Hates 16 Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion: 17 eyes that are arrogant, a tongue that lies, hands that murder the innocent, 18 a heart that hatches evil plots, feet that race down a wicked track, 19 a mouth that lies under oath, a troublemaker in the family. Warning on Adultery
20 Good friend, follow your father's good advice; don't wander off from your mother's teachings. 21 Wrap yourself in them from head to foot; wear them like a scarf around your neck. 22 Wherever you walk, they'll guide you; whenever you rest, they'll guard you; when you wake up, they'll tell you what's next. 23 For sound advice is a beacon, good teaching is a light, moral discipline is a life path. 24 They'll protect you from wanton women, from the seductive talk of some temptress. 25 Don't lustfully fantasize on her beauty, nor be taken in by her bedroom eyes. 26 You can buy an hour with a whore for a loaf of bread, but a wanton woman may well eat you alive. 27 Can you build a fire in your lap and not burn your pants? 28 Can you walk barefoot on hot coals and not get blisters? 29 It's the same when you have sex with your neighbor's wife: Touch her and you'll pay for it. No excuses. 30 Hunger is no excuse for a thief to steal; 31 When he's caught he has to pay it back, even if he has to put his whole house in hock. 32 Adultery is a brainless act, soul-destroying, self-destructive; 33 Expect a bloody nose, a black eye, and a reputation ruined for good. 34 For jealousy detonates rage in a cheated husband; wild for revenge, he won't make allowances. 35 Nothing you say or pay will make it all right; neither bribes nor reason will satisfy him.
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.
