1. A WISE son heeds [and is the fruit of] his father's instruction and correction, but a scoffer listens not to rebuke.
2. A good man eats good from the fruit of his mouth, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.
3. He who guards his mouth keeps his life, but he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
4. The appetite of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the appetite of the diligent is abundantly supplied. [Prov. 10:4.]
5. A [consistently] righteous man hates lying and deceit, but a wicked man is loathsome [his very breath spreads pollution] and he comes [surely] to shame.
6. Righteousness (rightness and justice in every area and relation) guards him who is upright in the way, but wickedness plunges into sin and overthrows the sinner.
7. One man considers himself rich, yet has nothing [to keep permanently]; another man considers himself poor, yet has great [and indestructible] riches. [Prov. 12:9; Luke 12:20, 21.]
8. A rich man can buy his way out of threatened death by paying a ransom, but the poor man does not even have to listen to threats [from the envious].
9. The light of the [uncompromisingly] righteous [is within him–it grows brighter and] rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked [furnishes only a derived, temporary light and] shall be put out shortly.