Staying Humble

1Can you stay humble

if your friends are proud?

Only if you can handle tar

and stay clean!

2And watch out if your friends

are rich and powerful.

You cannot match their strength,

and you might be crushed,

just like a clay jar

struck by an iron pan.

3The rich oppress

and insult the poor,

then demand an apology!

4The rich will try to use you,

but if you need help,

don't bother to ask.

5When they come to visit you,

they will soak up

what little you have.

6If they need your help,

they smile and act kind

and even ask how they

can be of service.

But don't be fooled--

it's all lies!

7They will invite you to dinner,

but in the long run you'll pay

three times what it cost.

And when you have nothing left,

they will laugh and sneer

and keep their distance.

8So be smart and careful,

not deceived and humiliated.

9Important people

will want you around,

if you don't try too hard

to be their friend.

10Push yourself on them,

and you will face rejection;

act cold, and they will forget

that you are alive.

11Don't try to be their equal

or trust them when they

have long talks with you.

They are smiling,

but you are being tested.

12Those who tell secrets are cruel

and would just as soon hurt you

or send you to prison.

13Be careful! Don't risk disaster

by sharing your secrets.

14Wake up and pay attention!

Every day of your life,

love the Lord and pray

that he will protect you.

* 15Animals and people

16love their own kind.

17Wolves and lambs

have about as much in common

as sinners and God's people.

18Hyenas and dogs

are natural enemies,

just like the poor

and the rich.

19Desert lions will always feast

on wild donkeys,

and the rich will gobble up

the needy.

20The rich and proud

consider the poor and humble

to be disgusting.

The Rich and the Poor

21When the rich start to stumble

their friends lend a hand,

but let the poor fall down,

and their friends pretend

not to know them.

22When the rich are in trouble,

many will offer to help

and will even make excuses

when the rich insult them.

But let the poor get in trouble,

and all they get is criticism,

even if they speak wisely.

23When the rich speak,

everyone listens

with great respect.

But if the poor speak,

everyone asks, "Just who

do they think they are?"

And if the poor start to trip,

people give them a push.

24It's good to have wealth

if you got it honestly,

but don't be ungodly and claim

that being poor is evil.

Be Good to Yourself

25With one look at your face

anyone can see

if you are happy or sad.

26A smile shows you are happy,

and a tired look may mean

you have been trying too hard

to think up a proverb.