1 Lady Wisdom builds a lovely home; Sir Fool comes along and tears it down brick by brick.
2 An honest life shows respect for God;a degenerate life is a slap in his face.
3 Frivolous talk provokes a derisive smile;wise speech evokes nothing but respect.
4 No cattle, no crops;a good harvest requires a strong ox for the plow.
5 A true witness never lies;a false witness makes a business of it.
6 Cynics look high and low for wisdom—and never find it;the open-minded find it right on their doorstep!
7 Escape quickly from the company of fools;they're a waste of your time, a waste of your words.
8 The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track;the foolishness of fools lands them in the ditch.
9 The stupid ridicule right and wrong,but a moral life is a favored life.
10 The person who shuns the bitter moments of friendswill be an outsider at their celebrations.
11 Lives of careless wrongdoing are tumbledown shacks;holy living builds soaring cathedrals.
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13 There's a way of life that looks harmless enough;look again—it leads straight to hell.Sure, those people appear to be having a good time,but all that laughter will end in heartbreak.
14 A mean person gets paid back in meanness,a gracious person in grace.
15 The gullible believe anything they're told;the prudent sift and weigh every word.
16 The wise watch their steps and avoid evil;fools are headstrong and reckless.
17 The hotheaded do things they'll later regret;the coldhearted get the cold shoulder.
18 Foolish dreamers live in a world of illusion;wise realists plant their feet on the ground.
19 Eventually, evil will pay tribute to good;the wicked will respect God-loyal people.
20 An unlucky loser is shunned by all,but everyone loves a winner.
21 It's criminal to ignore a neighbor in need,but compassion for the poor—what a blessing!
22 Isn't it obvious that conspirators lose out,while the thoughtful win love and trust?
23 Hard work always pays off;mere talk puts no bread on the table.
24 The wise accumulate wisdom;fools get stupider by the day.
25 Souls are saved by truthful witnessand betrayed by the spread of lies.
26 The Fear-of-God builds up confidence,and makes a world safe for your children.
27 The Fear-of-God is a spring of living waterso you won't go off drinking from poisoned wells.
28 The mark of a good leader is loyal followers;leadership is nothing without a following.
29 Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding;a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity.
30 A sound mind makes for a robust body,but runaway emotions corrode the bones.
31 You insult your Maker when you exploit the powerless;when you're kind to the poor, you honor God.
32 The evil of bad people leaves them out in the cold;the integrity of good people creates a safe place for living.
33 Lady Wisdom is at home in an understanding heart—fools never even get to say hello.
34 God-devotion makes a country strong;God-avoidance leaves people weak.
35 Diligent work gets a warm commendation;shiftless work earns an angry rebuke.