Proverbs

²When the rulers are good, the people are happy. When the rulers are evil, the people complain. ³A son who loves wisdom makes his father happy. One who wastes his money on prostitutes will lose his wealth. ⁴A nation will be strong when it has a fair and just king. A nation will be weak when it has a king who is selfish and demands gifts. ⁵If you give false praise to others in order to get what you want, you are only setting a trap for yourself. ⁶Evil people are defeated by their sin, but good people will sing and be happy. ⁷Good people want to do what is right for the poor, but the wicked don’t care. ⁸Proud people who laugh at what is right cause problems that divide whole cities, but people who are wise are able to calm those who are angry.