²⁸ Loyalty and ·truth [faithfulness] ·keep a king in power [protect a king];
he ·continues to rule [supports his throne] if he is loyal.

⁸ Guilty people live dishonest lives,
but ·honest people do right [virtuous people are pure].

²⁹ Wicked people ·are stubborn [^Lput on a bold/impudent face],
but ·good people think carefully about what they do [^Lthe virtuous establish their path].

¹⁰ ·Get rid of [Banish; Drive out] the ·one who makes fun of wisdom [mocker].
Then ·fighting [conflict], ·quarrels [judgments], and ·insults [shame] will stop.

¹¹ Whoever loves pure ·thoughts [^Lhearts] and kind ·words [^Llips]
will have even the king as a friend.

23 ·If [or When] you sit down to eat with a ruler,
    notice ·the food that [^Lwhat] is in front of you.
² ·Control yourself [^LPlace a knife at your throat]
    ·if you have a big [or to control your] appetite.
³ Don’t ·be greedy [long] for his fine foods,
    because that food might be ·a trick [false; deceptive].

⁶ Don’t eat the food of ·selfish [stingy; ^Levil eye] people;
    don’t ·be greedy [long] for their ·fine foods [delicacies].
⁷ ·Selfish people are always worrying
    about how much the food costs [^LThey calculate in their minds; or They are like a hair in the throat].
They tell you, “Eat and drink,”
    but ·they don’t really mean it [^Ltheir heart is not with you].
⁸ You will ·throw up [vomit] the ·little [^Lcrust] you have eaten,
    and you will have wasted your ·kind [pleasant] words.

⁶ Sending a message by a foolish person
is like cutting off your feet or drinking ·poison [^Lviolence].

¹⁰ Hiring a foolish person or anyone just passing by
is like an archer shooting ·at just anything [randomly].

²⁴ Those who hate you may try to ·fool [trick] you with their ·words [^Llips],
    but ·in their minds [inside] they ·are planning evil [^Lset deception].
²⁵ People’s ·words [^Lvoice] may be ·kind [gracious], but don’t believe them,
    because ·their minds are full of evil thoughts [^Lseven abominations are in their heart; ^Cseven is the number of completion].
²⁶ ·Lies [Trickery; Guile] can ·hide [cover] hate,
    but the evil will be ·plain to everyone [^Lrevealed in the assembly].

²⁷ Whoever digs a pit for others will fall into it.
Whoever tries to roll a boulder down on others will ·be crushed by it [^Lhave it turn back on them].