1. Wise judges will instruct their people,and an intelligent person’s rulewill be orderly.
2. As the people’s judges are,so will their officials be,and as the ruler of a city is,so also are all of its inhabitants.
3. An uneducated king will ruin his people,and a city is foundedon the intelligence of its rulers.
4. Authority over the earthbelongs to the Lord,and he will identify the personwho is right for the time.
5. A people’s success belongs to the Lord,and he will give gloryto the legal expert.
6. Don’t become angry with your neighbor over every wrong,and don’t do anything that offersa flagrant insult.
7. Arrogance is hateful to God and people,and injustice is wrong to both.
8. Sovereignty passes fromnation to nationbecause of injustice, pride, and money.
9. How can dust and ashes be arrogant?Even when they are alive,human bodies are decaying.
10. A long illness mocks a doctor;today’s king will die tomorrow.
11. When people are dead,they inherit maggots, vermin,and worms.
12. Human arrogance begins when people rebel against the Lord,and their hearts rebelagainst the one who made them.
13. The beginning of arrogance is sin,and those who cling to itwill pour out blasphemy.For this reasonthe Lord brings calamities upon them,and he ruins them completely.
14. The Lord destroyed the thrones of rulers,and he raised up the gentlein their place.
15. The Lord plucked up the roots of nations,and he planted the humblein their place.
16. The Lord ruined the lands of the nations,and he leveled themto their very foundations.
17. He removed some peopleand destroyed them,and he erased their memoryfrom the earth.
18. Humans were not created to be arrogant,nor were those born of womenmade to indulge in anger.
19. What offspring are honorable?Human offspring.What offspring are honorable?Those who fear the Lord.What offspring are dishonorable?Human offspring.What offspring are dishonorable?Those who violatethe commandments.
20. Among brothers and sisters,their leader is honored,and those who fear the Lordare honored in his sight.
22. The rich, the heroes, and the poor—their pride is the fear of the Lord.
23. It’s not right to dishonorsomeone who is intelligent but poor,and it’s not proper to give gloryto a sinful person.
24. The official, the judge, and the rulerwill be glorified,but none of them are greaterthan the one who fears the Lord.
25. Free people will serve the wise personwho has been enslaved,and a knowledgeable personwon’t complain.
26. Don’t show off your wisdomwhen you do your work,and don’t magnify yourselfwhen you have difficulties.
27. Those who work and have what they needin abundance are betterthan those who walk aroundglorifying themselves but lack bread.
28. My child, hold yourself in honorwith gentleness,and give yourself honor as you deserve it.
29. Who will justify thosewho sin against themselves?And who will honor thosewho bring dishonor to their own lives?
30. Poor people will be honoredbecause of their knowledge,and rich people will be honoredbecause of their wealth.
31. Whoever is honored in poverty,how much more will he or shebe honored in wealth?And whoever is disreputable in wealth,how much more will he or shebe disreputable in poverty?