8. A gang of cynics can upset a whole city;a group of sages can calm everyone down.
9. A sage trying to work things out with a foolgets only scorn and sarcasm for his trouble.
10. Murderers hate honest people;moral folks encourage them.
11. A fool lets it all hang out;a sage quietly mulls it over.
12. When a leader listens to malicious gossip,all the workers get infected with evil.
13. The poor and their abusers have at least something in common:they can both see—their sight, God’s gift!
14. Leadership gains authority and respectwhen the voiceless poor are treated fairly.
15. Wise discipline imparts wisdom;spoiled adolescents embarrass their parents.
16. When degenerates take charge, crime runs wild,but the righteous will eventually observe their collapse.
17. Discipline your children; you’ll be glad you did—they’ll turn out delightful to live with.
18. If people can’t see what God is doing,they stumble all over themselves;But when they attend to what he reveals,they are most blessed.
19. It takes more than talk to keep workers in line;mere words go in one ear and out the other.
20. Observe the people who always talk before they think—even simpletons are better off than they are.
21. If you let people treat you like a doormat,you’ll be quite forgotten in the end.
22. Angry people stir up a lot of discord;the intemperate stir up trouble.
23. Pride lands you flat on your face;humility prepares you for honors.
24. Befriend an outlawand become an enemy to yourself.When the victims cry out,you’ll be included in their cursesif you’re a coward to their cause in court.