1 Here are some proverbs

of Solomon:

Children with good sense

make their parents happy,

but foolish children

make them sad.

2 What you gain by doing evil

won't help you at all.

Obeying God is the only way

to be saved from death.

3 If you obey the Lord,

you won't go hungry;

if you are wicked,

God won't let you have

what you want.

4 Laziness leads to poverty;

hard work makes you rich.

5 At harvest season

it's smart to work hard,

but stupid to sleep.

6 Everyone praises good people,

but evil hides behind

the words of the wicked.

7 Good people are remembered

long after they are gone,

but the wicked

are soon forgotten.

8 If you have good sense,

you will listen and obey;

if all you do is talk foolishly,

you will destroy yourself.

9 You will be safe,

if you always do right,

but you will get caught,

if you are dishonest.

10 Deceit causes trouble,

and foolish talk

will bring you to ruin.*

11 The words of good people

are a source of life,

but evil hides behind

the words of the wicked.

12 * Hatred stirs up trouble;

love overlooks the wrongs

that others do.

13 If you have good sense,

it will show when you speak.

But if you are stupid,

you will be beaten

with a stick.

14 If you have good sense,

you will learn all you can,

but foolish talk

will soon destroy you.

15 Great wealth can be a fortress,

but poverty

is no protection at all.

16 If you live right,

the reward is a good life;

if you are evil,

all you have is sin.

17 Accept correction,

and you will find life;

reject correction,

and you will miss the road.

18 You can hide your hatred

by telling lies,

but you are a fool

to spread lies.

19 You will say the wrong thing

if you talk too much—

so be sensible and watch

what you say.

20 The words of a good person

are like pure silver,

but the thoughts

of an evil person

are almost worthless.

21 Many are helped

by useful instruction,

but fools are killed

by their own stupidity.

22 When the Lord blesses you

with riches,

you have nothing to regret.*

23 Fools enjoy doing wrong,

but anyone with good sense

enjoys acting wisely.

24 What evil people dread most

will happen to them,

but good people will get

what they want most.

25 Those crooks will disappear

when a storm strikes,

but God will keep safe

all who obey him.

26 Having a lazy person on the job

is like a mouth full of vinegar

or smoke in your eyes.

27 If you respect the Lord,

you will live longer;

if you keep doing wrong,

your life will be cut short.

28 If you obey the Lord,

you will be happy,

but there is no future

for the wicked.

29 The Lord protects everyone

who lives right,

but he destroys anyone

who does wrong.

30 Good people will stand firm,

but the wicked will disappear

from the land.

31 Honest people speak sensibly,

but deceitful liars

will be silenced.

32 If you obey the Lord,

you will always know

the right thing to say.

But no one will trust you

if you tell lies.