1. Lady Wisdom builds a lovely home;Sir Fool comes along and tears it down brick by brick.
2. An honest life shows respect for God;a degenerate life is a slap in his face.
3. Frivolous talk provokes a derisive smile;wise speech evokes nothing but respect.
4. No cattle, no crops;a good harvest requires a strong ox for the plow.
5. A true witness never lies;a false witness makes a business of it.
6. Cynics look high and low for wisdom—and never find it;the open-minded find it right on their doorstep!
7. Escape quickly from the company of fools;they’re a waste of your time, a waste of your words.
8. The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track;the foolishness of fools lands them in the ditch.
9. The stupid ridicule right and wrong,but a moral life is a favored life.
10. The person who shuns the bitter moments of friendswill be an outsider at their celebrations.
11. Lives of careless wrongdoing are tumbledown shacks;holy living builds soaring cathedrals.
12-13. There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough;look again—it leads straight to hell.Sure, those people appear to be having a good time,but all that laughter will end in heartbreak.
14. A mean person gets paid back in meanness,a gracious person in grace.
15. The gullible believe anything they’re told;the prudent sift and weigh every word.
16. The wise watch their steps and avoid evil;fools are headstrong and reckless.
17. The hotheaded do things they’ll later regret;the coldhearted get the cold shoulder.
18. Foolish dreamers live in a world of illusion;wise realists plant their feet on the ground.
19. Eventually, evil will pay tribute to good;the wicked will respect God-loyal people.
20. An unlucky loser is shunned by all,but everyone loves a winner.
21. It’s criminal to ignore a neighbor in need,but compassion for the poor—what a blessing!
22. Isn’t it obvious that conspirators lose out,while the thoughtful win love and trust?
23. Hard work always pays off;mere talk puts no bread on the table.
24. The wise accumulate wisdom;fools get stupider by the day.
25. Souls are saved by truthful witnessand betrayed by the spread of lies.
26. The Fear-of-God builds up confidence,and makes a world safe for your children.
27. The Fear-of-God is a spring of living waterso you won’t go off drinking from poisoned wells.
28. The mark of a good leader is loyal followers;leadership is nothing without a following.
29. Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding;a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity.
30. A sound mind makes for a robust body,but runaway emotions corrode the bones.
31. You insult your Maker when you exploit the powerless;when you’re kind to the poor, you honor God.
32. The evil of bad people leaves them out in the cold;the integrity of good people creates a safe place for living.
33. Lady Wisdom is at home in an understanding heart—fools never even get to say hello.
34. God-devotion makes a country strong;God-avoidance leaves people weak.
35. Diligent work gets a warm commendation;shiftless work earns an angry rebuke.