1Lady Wisdom builds a lovely home; Sir Fool comes along and tears it down brick by brick.
2An honest life shows respect for God; a degenerate life is a slap in his face.
3Frivolous talk provokes a derisive smile; wise speech evokes nothing but respect.
4No cattle, no crops; a good harvest requires a strong ox for the plow.
5A true witness never lies; a false witness makes a business of it.
6Cynics look high and low for wisdom—and never find it; the open-minded find it right on their doorstep!
7Escape quickly from the company of fools; they're a waste of your time, a waste of your words.
8The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track; the foolishness of fools lands them in the ditch.
9The stupid ridicule right and wrong, but a moral life is a favored life.
10The person who shuns the bitter moments of friends will be an outsider at their celebrations.
11Lives of careless wrongdoing are tumbledown shacks; holy living builds soaring cathedrals.
12There's a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again—it leads straight to hell.
13Sure, those people appear to be having a good time, but all that laughter will end in heartbreak.
14A mean person gets paid back in meanness, a gracious person in grace.
15The gullible believe anything they're told; the prudent sift and weigh every word.
16The wise watch their steps and avoid evil; fools are headstrong and reckless.
17The hotheaded do things they'll later regret; the coldhearted get the cold shoulder.
18Foolish dreamers live in a world of illusion; wise realists plant their feet on the ground.
19Eventually, evil will pay tribute to good; the wicked will respect God-loyal people.
20An unlucky loser is shunned by all, but everyone loves a winner.
21It's criminal to ignore a neighbor in need, but compassion for the poor—what a blessing!
22Isn't it obvious that conspirators lose out, while the thoughtful win love and trust?
23Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table.
24The wise accumulate wisdom; fools get stupider by the day.
25Souls are saved by truthful witness and betrayed by the spread of lies.
26The Fear-of-God builds up confidence, and makes a world safe for your children.
27The Fear-of-God is a spring of living water so you won't go off drinking from poisoned wells.
28The mark of a good leader is loyal followers; leadership is nothing without a following.
29Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding; a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity.
30A sound mind makes for a robust body, but runaway emotions corrode the bones.
31You insult your Maker when you exploit the powerless; when you're kind to the poor, you honor God.
32The evil of bad people leaves them out in the cold; the integrity of good people creates a safe place for living.
33Lady Wisdom is at home in an understanding heart— fools never even get to say hello.
34God-devotion makes a country strong; God-avoidance leaves people weak.
35Diligent work gets a warm commendation; shiftless work earns an angry rebuke.