1 Better a dry crust with peace

than a house full of feasting with strife.  *

2 A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son

and share an inheritance among brothers.

3 A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold,  *

and the Lord is the tester of hearts.  *

4 A wicked person listens to malicious talk;  *

a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

5 The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker,  *

and one who rejoices over calamity

will not go unpunished.  *

6 Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,

and the pride of children is their fathers.

7 Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips;

how much worse are lies for a ruler.

8 A bribe  * seems like a magic stone to its owner;

wherever he turns, he succeeds.  *

9 Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,  *

but whoever gossips about it separates friends.  *

10 A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person

more than a hundred lashes into a fool.

11 An evil person desires only rebellion;

a cruel messenger  *,* will be sent against him.

12 Better for a person to meet a bear robbed of her cubs  *

than a fool in his foolishness.

13 If anyone returns evil for good,  *

evil will never depart from his house.  *

14 To start a conflict is to release a flood;

stop the dispute before it breaks out.  *

15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just  *  —

both are detestable to the  Lord.

16 Why does a fool have money in his hand

with no intention of buying wisdom?  *

17 A friend loves at all times,  *

and a brother is born for a difficult time.

18 One without sense enters an agreement  *

and puts up security for his friend.  *

19 One who loves to offend loves strife;  *

one who builds a high threshold invites injury.

20 One with a twisted mind will not succeed,

and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin.  *

21 A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow;

the father of a fool has no joy.  *

22 A joyful heart is good medicine,

but a broken spirit dries up the bones.  *

23 A wicked person secretly takes a bribe  *

to subvert the course of justice.  *

24 Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive,

but a fool’s eyes  * roam to the ends of the earth.

25 A foolish son is grief to his father

and bitterness to the one who bore him.  *

26 It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person

or to beat a noble for his honesty.  *,*

27 The one who has knowledge restrains his words,  *

and one who keeps a cool head  *

is a person of understanding.

28 Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent —

discerning, when he seals his lips.  *