1. Wine and beer make people lose control; they get loud and stumble around. And that is foolish.
2. An angry king is like a roaring lion. If you make him angry, you could lose your life.
3. People who refuse to argue deserve respect. Any fool can start an argument.
4. Some people are too lazy to plant seeds. So at harvest time, they look for food and find nothing.
5. Getting information from someone can be like getting water from a deep well. If you are smart, you will draw it out.
6. You might call many people your “friends,” but it is hard to find someone who can really be trusted.
7. When people live good, honest lives, their children are blessed.
8. When the king sits and judges people, he must look carefully to separate the evil from the good.
9. Can anyone say their heart is pure? Who can say, “I am free from sin”?
10. The Lord hates for people to use the wrong weights and measures to cheat others.
11. Even children show what they are like by the things they do. You can see if their actions are pure and right.
12. It was the Lord who gave us eyes for seeing and ears for hearing.
13. If you love to sleep, you will become poor. Use your time working and you will have plenty to eat.
14. When buying something, people always say, “It’s no good. It costs too much.” Then they go away and tell others what a good deal they got.
15. The right knowledge can bring you gold, pearls, and other expensive things.
16. If someone promises to pay the debt of a stranger, get a coat or something from him to keep until the debt is paid.