1 A dry piece of food with peace and quiet is better than a house full of food with fighting.

2 A servant who is wise in what he does will rule over a son who acts in shame. He will share in what is given as one of the brothers.

3 T he melting-pot is for silver and the hot fire is for gold, but the Lord tests hearts.

4 A wrong-doer listens to sinful lips. A liar listens to a tongue that destroys.

5 H e who laughs at the poor brings shame to his Maker. He who is glad at trouble will be punished.

6 G randchildren are the pride and joy of old men and a son is proud of his father.

7 F ine speaking is not right for a fool. Even worse are lying lips to a ruler.

8 B eing paid in secret for wrong-doing is like a stone of much worth to the one who has it. Wherever he turns, he does well.

9 H e who covers a sin looks for love. He who tells of trouble separates good friends.

10 A man of understanding learns more from being told the right thing to do than a fool learns from being beaten a hundred times.

11 A man who will not obey looks only for what is bad. So one who has no loving-pity will be sent against him.

12 A man meeting a bear robbed of her little ones is better than meeting a fool in his foolish way.

13 I f a man returns bad for good, trouble will not leave his house.

14 T he beginning of trouble is like letting out water. So stop arguing before fighting breaks out.

15 H e who says that the sinful are right, and he who says those who do right are wrong, both are hated by the Lord.

16 I t does a fool no good to try to buy wisdom, when he has no understanding.

17 A friend loves at all times. A brother is born to share troubles.

18 A man without good thinking makes promises, and becomes a trust for what another man owes his neighbor.

19 H e who loves sin loves making trouble. He who opens his door wide for trouble is looking for a way to be destroyed.

20 H e who has a sinful heart finds no good. He who has a sinful tongue falls into sin.

21 A foolish son is a sorrow to his father, and the father of a fool has no joy.

22 A glad heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

23 A sinful man receives pay in secret to change the right way into wrong-doing.

24 W isdom is with the one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

25 A foolish son is a sorrow to his father, and trouble to her who gave birth to him.

26 I t is not good to punish those who are right with God, and it is wrong to beat men of honor for being faithful.

27 H e who is careful in what he says has much learning, and he who has a quiet spirit is a man of understanding.

28 E ven a fool, when he keeps quiet, is thought to be wise. When he closes his lips, he is thought of as a man of understanding.