² Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good;
    God probes for what is good.

³ Put God in charge of your work,
    then what you’ve planned will take place.

⁴ God made everything with a place and purpose;
    even the wicked are included—but for judgment.

⁵ God can’t stomach arrogance or pretense;
    believe me, he’ll put those braggarts in their place.

⁶ Guilt is banished through love and truth;
    Fear-of-God deflects evil.

⁷ When God approves of your life,
    even your enemies will end up shaking your hand.

⁸ Far better to be right and poor
    than to be wrong and rich.

⁹ We plan the way we want to live,
    but only God makes us able to live it.

¹¹ God cares about honesty in the workplace;
    your business is his business.

¹² Good leaders abhor wrongdoing of all kinds;
    sound leadership has a moral foundation.

¹³ Good leaders cultivate honest speech;
    they love advisors who tell them the truth.

¹⁴ An intemperate leader wreaks havoc in lives;
    you’re smart to stay clear of someone like that.

¹⁵ Good-tempered leaders invigorate lives;
    they’re like spring rain and sunshine.

¹⁶ Get wisdom—it’s worth more than money;
    choose insight over income every time.

¹⁷ The road of right living bypasses evil;
    watch your step and save your life.

¹⁸ First pride, then the crash—
    the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.

¹⁹ It’s better to live humbly among the poor
    than to live it up among the rich and famous.

²⁰ It pays to take life seriously;
    things work out when you trust in God.

²¹ A wise person gets known for insight;
    gracious words add to one’s reputation.

²² True intelligence is a spring of fresh water,
    while fools sweat it out the hard way.

²³ They make a lot of sense, these wise folks;
    whenever they speak, their reputation increases.

²⁴ Gracious speech is like clover honey—
    good taste to the soul, quick energy for the body.

²⁵ There’s a way that looks harmless enough;
    look again—it leads straight to hell.

²⁶ Appetite is an incentive to work;
    hunger makes you work all the harder.

²⁷ Mean people spread mean gossip;
    their words smart and burn.

²⁸ Troublemakers start fights;
    gossips break up friendships.

²⁹ Calloused climbers betray their very own friends;
    they’d stab their own grandmothers in the back.

³⁰ A shifty eye betrays an evil intention;
    a clenched jaw signals trouble ahead.

³¹ Gray hair is a mark of distinction,
    the award for a God-loyal life.

³² Moderation is better than muscle,
    self-control better than political power.

³³ Make your motions and cast your votes,
    but God has the final say.

² A wise servant takes charge of an unruly child
    and is honored as one of the family.

³ As silver in a crucible and gold in a pan,
    so our lives are refined by God.

⁴ Evil people relish malicious conversation;
    the ears of liars itch for dirty gossip.

⁵ Whoever mocks poor people insults their Creator;
    gloating over misfortune is a punishable crime.

⁶ Old people are distinguished by grandchildren;
    children take pride in their parents.

⁷ We don’t expect eloquence from fools,
    nor do we expect lies from our leaders.

⁸ Receiving a gift is like getting a rare gemstone;
    any way you look at it, you see beauty refracted.

⁹ Overlook an offense and bond a friendship;
    fasten on to a slight and—good-bye, friend!

¹⁰ A quiet rebuke to a person of good sense
    does more than a whack on the head of a fool.

¹¹ Criminals out looking for nothing but trouble
    won’t have to wait long—they’ll meet it coming and going!

¹² Better to meet a grizzly robbed of her cubs
    than a fool hellbent on folly.

¹³ Those who return evil for good
    will meet their own evil returning.

¹⁴ The start of a quarrel is like a leak in a dam,
    so stop it before it bursts.

¹⁵ Whitewashing bad people and throwing mud on good people
    are equally abhorrent to God.

¹⁶ What’s this? Fools out shopping for wisdom!
    They wouldn’t recognize it if they saw it!

¹⁸ It’s stupid to try to get something for nothing,
    or run up huge bills you can never pay.

¹⁹ The person who courts sin marries trouble;
    build a wall, invite a burglar.

²⁰ A bad motive can’t achieve a good end;
    double-talk brings you double trouble.

²¹ Having a fool for a child is misery;
    it’s no fun being the parent of a dolt.

²² A cheerful disposition is good for your health;
    gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.

²³ The wicked take bribes under the table;
    they show nothing but contempt for justice.

²⁴ The perceptive find wisdom in their own front yard;
    fools look for it everywhere but right here.

²⁵ A surly, stupid child is sheer pain to a father,
    a bitter pill for a mother to swallow.

²⁶ It’s wrong to penalize good behavior,
    or make good citizens pay for the crimes of others.

²⁷ The one who knows much says little;
    an understanding person remains calm.

²⁸ Even dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise;
    as long as they keep their mouths shut, they’re smart.

² Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse;
    all they do is run off at the mouth.

³ When wickedness arrives, shame’s not far behind;
    contempt for life is contemptible.

⁴ Many words rush along like rivers in flood,
    but deep wisdom flows up from artesian springs.

⁵ It’s not right to go easy on the guilty,
    or come down hard on the innocent.

⁶ The words of a fool start fights;
    do him a favor and gag him.

⁷ Fools are undone by their big mouths;
    their souls are crushed by their words.

⁸ Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy;
    do you really want junk like that in your belly?

⁹ Slack habits and sloppy work
    are as bad as vandalism.

¹⁰ God’s name is a place of protection—
    good people can run there and be safe.

¹¹ The rich think their wealth protects them;
    they imagine themselves safe behind it.

¹² Pride first, then the crash,
    but humility is precursor to honor.

¹³ Answering before listening
    is both stupid and rude.

¹⁴ A healthy spirit conquers adversity,
    but what can you do when the spirit is crushed?

¹⁵ Wise men and women are always learning,
    always listening for fresh insights.

¹⁶ A gift gets attention;
    it buys the attention of eminent people.

¹⁷ The first speech in a court case is always convincing—
    until the cross-examination starts!

¹⁸ You may have to draw straws
    when faced with a tough decision.

¹⁹ Do a favor and win a friend forever;
    nothing can untie that bond.

²⁰ Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach;
    good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest.

²¹ Words kill, words give life;
    they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.

²² Find a good spouse, you find a good life—
    and even more: the favor of God!

²³ The poor speak in soft supplications;
    the rich bark out answers.

²⁴ Friends come and friends go,
    but a true friend sticks by you like family.