17 It is better to eat a dry crust of bread in peace

than to have a feast where there is quarreling.

2  A wise servant will rule over the master’s disgraceful child

and will even inherit a share of what the master leaves his children.

3  A hot furnace tests silver and gold,

but the Lord tests hearts.

4  Evil people listen to evil words.

Liars pay attention to cruel words.

5  Whoever mistreats the poor insults their Maker;

whoever enjoys someone’s trouble will be punished.

6  Old people are proud of their grandchildren,

and children are proud of their parents.

7  Fools should not be proud,

and rulers should not be liars.

8  Some people think they can pay others to do anything they ask.

They think it will work every time.

9  Whoever forgives someone’s sin makes a friend,

but gossiping about the sin breaks up friendships.

10  A wise person will learn more from a warning

than a fool will learn from a hundred lashings.

11  Disobedient people look only for trouble,

so a cruel messenger will be sent against them.

12  It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

than to meet a fool doing foolish things.

13  Whoever gives evil in return for good

will always have trouble at home.

14  Starting a quarrel is like a leak in a dam,

so stop it before a fight breaks out.

15  The Lord hates both of these things:

freeing the guilty and punishing the innocent.

16  It won’t do a fool any good to try to buy wisdom,

because he doesn’t have the ability to be wise.

17  A friend loves you all the time,

and a brother helps in time of trouble.

18  It is not wise to promise

to pay what your neighbor owes.

19  Whoever loves to argue loves to sin.

Whoever brags a lot is asking for trouble.

20  A person with an evil heart will find no success,

and the person whose words are evil will get into trouble.

21  It is sad to have a foolish child;

there is no joy in being the parent of a fool.

22  A happy heart is like good medicine,

but a broken spirit drains your strength.

23  When the wicked accept money to do wrong

there can be no justice.

24  The person with understanding is always looking for wisdom,

but the mind of a fool wanders everywhere.

25  Foolish children make their father sad

and cause their mother great sorrow.

26  It is not good to punish the innocent

or to beat leaders for being honest.

27  The wise say very little,

and those with understanding stay calm.

28  Even fools seem to be wise if they keep quiet;

if they don’t speak, they appear to understand.

18 Unfriendly people are selfish

and hate all good sense.

2  Fools do not want to understand anything.

They only want to tell others what they think.

3  Do something evil, and people won’t like you.

Do something shameful, and they will make fun of you.

4  Spoken words can be like deep water,

but wisdom is like a flowing stream.

5  It is not good to honor the wicked

or to be unfair to the innocent.

6  The words of fools start quarrels.

They make people want to beat them.

7  The words of fools will ruin them;

their own words will trap them.

8  The words of a gossip are like tasty bits of food.

People like to gobble them up.

9  A person who doesn’t work hard

is just like someone who destroys things.

10  The Lord is like a strong tower;

those who do right can run to him for safety.

11  Rich people trust their wealth to protect them.

They think it is like the high walls of a city.

12  Proud people will be ruined,

but the humble will be honored.

13  Anyone who answers without listening

is foolish and confused.

14  The will to live can get you through sickness,

but no one can live with a broken spirit.

15  The mind of a person with understanding gets knowledge;

the wise person listens to learn more.

16  Taking gifts to important people

will help get you in to see them.

17  The person who tells one side of a story seems right,

until someone else comes and asks questions.

18  Throwing lots can settle arguments

and keep the two sides from fighting.

19  A brother who has been insulted is harder to win back than a walled city,

and arguments separate people like the barred gates of a palace.

20  People will be rewarded for what they say;

they will be rewarded by how they speak.

21  What you say can mean life or death.

Those who speak with care will be rewarded.

22  When a man finds a wife, he finds something good.

It shows that the Lord is pleased with him.

23  The poor beg for mercy,

but the rich give rude answers.

24  Some friends may ruin you,

but a real friend will be more loyal than a brother.

19 It is better to be poor and honest

than to be foolish and tell lies.

2  Enthusiasm without knowledge is not good.

If you act too quickly, you might make a mistake.

3  People’s own foolishness ruins their lives,

but in their minds they blame the Lord.

4  Wealthy people are always finding more friends,

but the poor lose all theirs.

5  A witness who lies will not go free;

liars will never escape.

6  Many people want to please a leader,

and everyone is friends with those who give gifts.

7  Poor people’s relatives avoid them;

even their friends stay far away.

They run after them, begging,

but they are gone.

8  Those who get wisdom do themselves a favor,

and those who love learning will succeed.

9  A witness who lies will not go free,

liars will die.

10  A fool should not live in luxury.

A slave should not rule over princes.

11  The wise are patient;

they will be honored if they ignore insults.

12  An angry king is like a roaring lion,

but his kindness is like the dew on the grass.

13  A foolish child brings disaster to a father,

and a quarreling wife is like dripping water.

14  Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,

but a wise wife is a gift from the Lord.

15  Lazy people sleep a lot,

and idle people will go hungry.

16  Those who obey the commands protect themselves,

but those who are careless will die.

17  Being kind to the poor is like lending to the Lord;

he will reward you for what you have done.

18  Correct your children while there is still hope;

do not let them destroy themselves.

19  People with quick tempers will have to pay for it.

If you help them out once, you will have to do it again.

20  Listen to advice and accept correction,

and in the end you will be wise.

21  People can make all kinds of plans,

but only the Lord’s plan will happen.

22  People want others to be loyal,

so it is better to be poor than to be a liar.

23  Those who respect the Lord will live

and be satisfied, unbothered by trouble.

24  Though the lazy person puts his hand in the dish,

he won’t lift the food to his mouth.

25  Whip those who make fun of wisdom, and perhaps foolish people will gain some wisdom.

Correct those with understanding, and they will gain knowledge.

26  A child who robs his father and sends away his mother

brings shame and disgrace on himself.

27  Don’t stop listening to correction, my child,

or you will forget what you have already learned.

28  An evil witness makes fun of fairness,

and wicked people love what is evil.

29  People who make fun of wisdom will be punished,

and the backs of foolish people will be beaten.

20 Wine and beer make people loud and uncontrolled;

it is not wise to get drunk on them.

2  An angry king is like a roaring lion.

Making him angry may cost you your life.

3  Foolish people are always fighting,

but avoiding quarrels will bring you honor.

4  Lazy farmers don’t plow when they should;

they expect a harvest, but there is none.

5  People’s thoughts can be like a deep well,

but someone with understanding can find the wisdom there.

6  Many people claim to be loyal,

but it is hard to find a trustworthy person.

7  The good people who live honest lives

will be a blessing to their children.

8  When a king sits on his throne to judge,

he knows evil when he sees it.

9  No one can say, “I am innocent;

I have never done anything wrong.”

10  The Lord hates both these things:

dishonest weights and dishonest measures.

11  Even children are known by their behavior;

their actions show if they are innocent and good.

12  The Lord has made both these things:

ears to hear and eyes to see.

13  If you love to sleep, you will be poor.

If you stay awake, you will have plenty of food.

14  Buyers say, “This is bad. It’s no good.”

Then they go away and brag about what they bought.

15  There is gold and plenty of rubies,

but only a few people speak with knowledge.

16  Take the coat of someone who promises to pay a stranger’s debts,

and keep it until he pays what the stranger owes.

17  Stolen food may taste sweet at first,

but later it will feel like a mouth full of gravel.

18  Get advice if you want your plans to work.

If you go to war, get the advice of others.

19  Gossips can’t keep secrets,

so avoid people who talk too much.

20  Those who curse their father or mother

will be like a light going out in darkness.

21  Wealth inherited quickly in the beginning

will do you no good in the end.

22  Don’t say, “I’ll pay you back for the wrong you did.”

Wait for the Lord, and he will make things right.

23  The Lord hates dishonest weights,

and dishonest scales do not please him.

24  The Lord decides what a person will do;

no one understands what his life is all about.

25  It’s dangerous to promise something to God too quickly.

After you’ve thought about it, it may be too late.

26  A wise king sorts out the evil people,

and he punishes them as they deserve.

27  The Lord looks deep inside people

and searches through their thoughts.

28  Loyalty and truth keep a king in power;

he continues to rule if he is loyal.

29  The young glory in their strength,

and the old are honored for their gray hair.

30  Hard punishment will get rid of evil,

and whippings can change an evil heart.