²⁸ A king is honored when he has many people to rule,
but a prince is ruined if he has none.

⁷ ·Fools should not be proud [or It is not right for fools to be good speakers],
and ·rulers [honorable people] should not ·be liars [^Lhave lying lips].

⁶ Many people ·want to please [^Lseek the face of] a leader,
and everyone is friends with those who give gifts.

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].

¹⁵ With patience you can convince a ruler,
and a ·gentle [tender] word ·can get through to the hard-headed [^Lbreaks bone].

² When a country ·is lawless [or rebels; or transgresses], it has ·one ruler after another [or many rulers/leaders];
but when it is led by a ·leader [^Lperson] with understanding, it ·continues strong [or has lasting order].

¹² If a ruler pays attention to lies,
all ·his officers [those who serve him] will become wicked [Ps. 101:6–8].

²⁶ Many people want ·to speak to [an audience with] a ruler,
but justice comes only from the Lord.