Proverbs

¹⁵When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous (the upright, in right standing with God), but to the evildoers it is dismay, calamity, and ruin. ¹⁶A man who wanders out of the way of understanding shall abide in the congregation of the spirits (of the dead). ¹⁷He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich. ¹⁸The wicked become a ransom for the [uncompromisingly] righteous, and the treacherous for the upright [because the wicked themselves fall into the traps and pits they have dug for the good]. ¹⁹It is better to dwell in a desert land than with a contentious woman and with vexation. ²⁰There are precious treasures and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a self-confident and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it. ²¹He who earnestly seeks after and craves righteousness, mercy, and loving-kindness will find life in addition to righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) and honor. [Prov. 15:9; Matt. 5:6.]