1 Here are some proverbsof Solomon:Children with good sensemake their parents happy,but foolish childrenmake them sad.
2 What you gain by doing evilwon't help you at all.Obeying God is the only wayto be saved from death.
3 If you obey the Lord,you won't go hungry;if you are wicked,God won't let you havewhat you want.
4 Laziness leads to poverty;hard work makes you rich.
5 At harvest seasonit's smart to work hard,but stupid to sleep.
6 Everyone praises good people,but evil hides behindthe words of the wicked.
7 Good people are rememberedlong after they are gone,but the wickedare soon forgotten.
8 If you have good sense,you will listen and obey;if all you do is talk foolishly,you will destroy yourself.
9 You will be safe,if you always do right,but you will get caught,if you are dishonest.
10 Deceit causes trouble,and foolish talkwill bring you to ruin.
11 The words of good peopleare a source of life,but evil hides behindthe words of the wicked.
12 Hatred stirs up trouble;love overlooks the wrongsthat others do.
13 If you have good sense,it will show when you speak.But if you are stupid,you will be beatenwith a stick.
14 If you have good sense,you will learn all you can,but foolish talkwill soon destroy you.
15 Great wealth can be a fortress,but povertyis no protection at all.
16 If you live right,the reward is a good life;if you are evil,all you have is sin.
17 Accept correction,and you will find life;reject correction,and you will miss the road.
18 You can hide your hatredby telling lies,but you are a foolto spread lies.
19 You will say the wrong thingif you talk too much—so be sensible and watchwhat you say.
20 The words of a good personare like pure silver,but the thoughtsof an evil personare almost worthless.
21 Many are helpedby useful instruction,but fools are killedby their own stupidity.
22 When the Lord blesses youwith riches,you have nothing to regret.
23 Fools enjoy doing wrong,but anyone with good senseenjoys acting wisely.
24 What evil people dread mostwill happen to them,but good people will getwhat they want most.
25 Those crooks will disappearwhen a storm strikes,but God will keep safeall who obey him.
26 Having a lazy person on the jobis like a mouth full of vinegaror smoke in your eyes.
27 If you respect the Lord,you will live longer;if you keep doing wrong,your life will be cut short.
28 If you obey the Lord,you will be happy,but there is no futurefor the wicked.
29 The Lord protects everyonewho lives right,but he destroys anyonewho does wrong.
30 Good people will stand firm,but the wicked will disappearfrom the land.
31 Honest people speak sensibly,but deceitful liarswill be silenced.
32 If you obey the Lord,you will always knowthe right thing to say.But no one will trust youif you tell lies.