1. Many have sinned because of money,and whoever seeks to get morewill turn a blind eye.
2. A stake is drivenbetween cracks in stones,and sin will be wedgedbetween selling and buying.
3. If people don’t remain mindfulof the respect due the Lord,their houses will be quickly overthrown.
4. When a sieve is shaken,rubbish remains behind;so in the process of reasoning,a person’s flaws appear.
5. A kiln tests a potter’s jars,and decision making tests a person.
6. A tree’s fruit revealshow well it has been cultivated.In the same way, reasoning makes plaina person’s thoughts.
7. Don’t praise peopleuntil after they present an argument,for this is how people are tested.
8. If you pursue what’s just,you will possess itand wear it like a glorious robe.
9. Birds will nest with their own kind,and truth comes backto those who practice it.
10. A lion lies in wait for preyjust as sin lies in waitfor those who practice injustice.
11. The godly always speak wisdom,but the fool changes like the moon.
12. Limit the time you spendwith unintelligent people,but linger with the thoughtful.
13. The conversation of fools is offensive,as is their laughterover sinful pleasures.
14. Their speech, full of profanity,makes a person’s hair stand on end,and their conflicts make peoplestop up their ears.
15. The conflict of the arrogantends in bloodshed,and their abuse is miserable to hear.
16. Those who reveal secretshave destroyed trust,and they will never find a friendfor themselves.
17. Show affection to friendsand be loyal to them,but if you reveal their secrets,don’t follow after them.
18. Just as people destroy an enemy,so you have destroyed your friendshipwith your neighbors.
19. And as you set a bird free from your hand,so too you have let your neighbors go,and you won’t catch them.
20. Don’t pursue them,because they have withdrawnfar away from you,and they have escapedlike a gazelle from a trap.
21. In the same way that it’s possibleto bandage a wound,there’s also reconciliation for insult,but the one who has let a friend’s secrets slip out has no hope.
22. Those who wink their eye plan evil,and whoever recognizes themwill keep their distance.
23. To your face their speech will be sweet,and they will express amazementat your words.But later they will distort what they said,and they will use your own wordsagainst you.
24. I’ve hated many things,but nothing compares with them.Even the Lord will hate them.
25. Those who throw stones up highthrow them on their own heads,and a deceitful blowwill open up wounds.
26. Whoever digs a hole will fall into it,and whoever sets a trapwill get caught in it.
27. Evil will roll back upon thosewho practice evil,and they will never knowwhere it came from.
28. Mocking and blamingbelong to the arrogant,and vengeance, like a lion,will lie in wait for them.
29. Those who rejoice when godly people fallwill get caught in a trap,and pain will consume thembefore their death.
30. Wrath and anger—these also are detestable,and they will possess the sinful person.