1. My child, if you have sinned,don’t do it any longer,and pray concerning your previous sins.
2. Run away from sinlike you would from a snake:If you go near it, it will bite you.Its teeth are lion’s teeth,destroying a person’s life.
3. All lawlessness is a two-edged sword,and there’s no healing for its wound.
4. Alarm and insolence will strip away wealth;thus will an arrogant person’s housebe uprooted.
5. The petition of the poor goesfrom their mouth to God’s ears,and his judgment comes quickly.
6. Anyone who hates reproofwalks in the footsteps of a sinner,and those who fear the Lordwill turn back to him from the heart.
7. Those who are powerful in speechare widely known,but those who are thoughtfulknow when they slip.
8. Those who build their houseswith another person’s moneyare like those who gather stonesfor their own burial mound.
9. A gathering of lawless peopleis the same as bundled flax;their end is a flaming fire.
10. The path of sinnersis made level with stones,but its end is the pit of hell.
11. Those who keep the Lawbecome masters of their thoughts;fearing the Lordleads ultimately to wisdom.
12. Those who aren’t cleverwon’t receive instruction,but there is a kind of clevernessthat makes troubles multiply.
13. The knowledge of the wisewill increase like a flood,and their counsel is likea stream of life.
14. The mind of a fool is like a broken jar:it can’t hold knowledge.
15. If those who understandhear a wise word;they will praise it and add to it.Those who like to indulge themselveshear it and are displeased,and they turn their back on it.
16. A fool’s endless talkis a burden while on a journey,but grace will be foundon the lips of the intelligent.
17. The speech of the prudentwill be sought out in an assembly,and its members will take their wordsto heart.
18. Like a house in disrepair,so is wisdom to the foolish,and the knowledge of ignorant peoplewill not stand up to examination.
19. Education is shackleson the feet of the ignorant,like manacles on their hand.
20. Fools raise their voice in laughter,but clever people will smile subtlyin silence.
21. To the prudent,education is like a gold ornament,like a bracelet on the arm.
22. The foolish enter quickly into a house,but experienced peoplewill be ashamed to do so.
23. The senseless peer into a housethrough the door,but the educated will stand outside.
24. Ignorance causes people to listenthrough a door,but the prudent will be distressedat the dishonor of doing so.
25. The lips of strangerswill report these things,but the words of the prudentwill be placed on a balance.
26. Fools say whatever is on their minds,but the wise remain mindfulof what they say.
27. When the ungodlycurse their enemies,they curse themselves.
28. Those who whisper stain themselves,and they will be hatedby their neighbors.