20. A wicked person has no future — nothing to look forward to.
21. Have reverence for the Lord, my child, and honour the king. Have nothing to do with people who rebel against them;
22. such people could be ruined in a moment. Do you realize the disaster that God or the king can cause?
23. The wise have also said these things:It is wrong for judges to be prejudiced.
24. If they pronounce a guilty person innocent, they will be cursed and hated by everyone.
25. Judges who punish the guilty, however, will be prosperous and enjoy a good reputation.
26. An honest answer is a sign of true friendship.
27. Don't build your house and establish a home until your fields are ready, and you are sure that you can earn a living.
28. Don't give evidence against someone else without good reason, or say misleading things about him.
29. Don't say, “I'll do to him just what he did to me! I'll get even with him!”
30. I walked through the fields and vineyards of a lazy, stupid person.
31. They were full of thorn bushes and overgrown with weeds. The stone wall round them had fallen down.
32. I looked at this, thought about it, and learned a lesson from it:
33. have a nap and sleep if you want to. Fold your hands and rest awhile,
34. but while you are asleep, poverty will attack you like an armed robber.