| 1 My son, if you have sinned, do so no more, and for your past sins pray to be forgiven. |
| 2 Flee from sin as from a serpent. that will bite you if you go near it; Its teeth are lion's teeth, destroying the souls of men. |
| 3 Every offense is a two-edged sword; when it cuts, there can be no healing. |
| 4 Violence and arrogance wipe out wealth; so too a proud man's home is destroyed. |
| 5 Prayer from a poor man's lips is heard at once, and justice is quickly granted him. |
| 6 He who hates correction walks the sinner's path, but he who fears the LORD repents in his heart. |
| 7 Widely known is the boastful speaker but the wise man knows his own faults. |
| 8 He who builds his house with another's money is collecting stones for his funeral mound. |
| 9 A band of criminals is like a bundle of tow; they will end in a flaming fire. |
| 10 The path of sinners is smooth stones that end in the depths of the nether world. |
| 11 He who keeps the law controls his impulses; he who is perfect in fear of the LORD has wisdom. |
| 12 He can never be taught who is not shrewd, but one form of shrewdness is thoroughly bitter. |
| 13 A wise man's knowledge wells up in a flood, and his counsel, like a living spring; |
| 14 A fool's mind is like a broken jar-- no knowledge at all can it hold. |
| 15 When an intelligent man hears words of wisdom, he approves them and adds to them; The wanton hears them with scorn and casts them behind his back. |
| 16 A fool's chatter is like a load on a journey, but there is charm to be found upon the lips of the wise. |
| 17 The views of a prudent man are sought in an assembly, and his words are considered with care. |
| 18 Like a house in ruins is wisdom to a fool; the stupid man knows it only as inscrutable words. |
| 19 Like fetters on the legs is learning to a fool, like a manacle on his right hand. |
| 20 A fool raises his voice in laughter, but the prudent man at the most smiles gently. |
| 21 Like a chain of gold is learning to a wise man, like a bracelet on his right arm. |
| 22 The fool steps boldly into a house, while the well-bred man remains outside; |
| 23 A boor peeps through the doorway of a house, but a cultured man keeps his glance cast down. |
| 24 It is rude for one to listen at a door; a cultured man would be overwhelmed by the disgrace of it. |
| 25 The lips of the impious talk of what is not their concern, but the words of the prudent are carefully weighed. |
| 26 Fools' thoughts are in their mouths, wise men's words are in their hearts. |
| 27 When a godless man curses his adversary he really curses himself. |
| 28 A slanderer besmirches himself, and is hated by his neighbors. |