8. What are human beings,and what use are they?What’s good about them,and what’s evil about them?
9. The length of a person’s lifeis as much as one hundred years.
10. Like a drop of water from the seaor a grain of sand,so are a few years in the span of eternity.
11. Therefore, the Lord was patientwith them,and he poured out his mercy upon them.
12. He saw and knew that their endwas terrible;therefore, his willingness to be reconciled increased.
13. Neighbors display mercytoward each other,but the mercy of the Lord is for all beings:he corrects, instructs, teaches,and turns them back,as a shepherd does his flock.
14. He shows mercy to thosewho accept disciplineand to those who passionately pursuehis judgments.
15. My child, let the good you dobe without blemish,and don’t give harsh wordsalong with your gifts.
16. Doesn’t dew put an endto scorching heat?So a word is better than a gift.
17. Look! Doesn’t a word exceed a good gift?And both come from a personwho is gracious.
18. A fool reproaches ungraciously,and a gift from a begrudging giverbecomes an eyesore.
19. Learn before you speak,and attend to yourselfbefore you get sick.
20. Examine yourself before judgment,and you will be reconciledwhen you are examined.
21. Humble yourself before you get sick,and when you commit sinsshow a changed heart and mind.
22. Don’t be prevented from repayinga solemn promise in a timely way,and don’t wait until deathto be vindicated.
23. Prepare yourself before makinga solemn promise,and don’t be like someonewho tests the Lord.