1 It's better to be poor

and live right

than to be a stupid liar.

2 Willingness and stupidity

don't go well together.

If you are too eager,

you will miss the road.

3 We are ruined

by our own stupidity,

though we blame the Lord.

4 The rich have many friends;

the poor have none.

5 Dishonest witnesses and liars

won't escape punishment.

6 Everyone tries to be friends

of those who can help them.

7 If you are poor,

your own relatives reject you,

and your friends are worse.

When you really need them,

they are not there.*

8 Do yourself a favor

by having good sense—

you will be glad you did.

9 Dishonest witnesses and liars

will be destroyed.

10 It isn't right for a fool

to live in luxury

or for a slave to rule

in place of a king.

11 It's wise to be patient

and show what you are like

by forgiving others.

12 An angry king roars

like a lion,

but when a king is pleased,

it's like dew on the crops.

13 Foolish children bring disgrace

to their fathers.

A nagging wife goes on and on

like the drip, drip, drip

of the rain.

14 You may inherit all you own

from your parents,

but a sensible wife

is a gift from the Lord.

15 If you are lazy

and sleep your time away,

you will starve.

16 Obey the Lord's teachings

and you will live—

disobey and you will die.

17 Caring for the poor

is lending to the Lord,

and you will be well repaid.

18 Correct your children

before it's too late;

if you don't punish them,

trouble will come their way.*

19 People with bad tempers

are always in trouble,

and they need help

over and over again.*

20 Pay attention to advice

and accept correction,

so you can live sensibly.

21 We may make a lot of plans,

but the Lord will do

what he has decided.

22 What matters most is loyalty.

It's better to be poor

than to be a liar.

23 Showing respect to the Lord

brings true life—

if you do it, you can relax

without fear of danger.

24 Some people are too lazy

to lift a hand

to feed themselves.

25 Stupid fools learn good sense

by seeing others punished;

a sensible person learns

by being corrected.

26 Disgraceful children

rob their father

and chase their mother away.

27 If you stop learning,

you will forget

what you already know.

28 A lying witness makes fun

of the court system,

and criminals think crime

is really delicious.

29 A stupid fool should expect

to be punished.