1A worker who is always drunk

will never get rich,

and people who are careless

with small things

will gradually slip

into poverty.

2Even a wise man can be deceived

by wine and women,

and men who visit prostitutes

are taking terrible risks.

3Death will come suddenly,

then their bodies will rot

and be eaten by worms.

4If you trust people too quickly,

you aren't very smart.

If you sin, you harm yourself.

5And if you are happy about evil,

you will be judged guilty.

Rumors and Gossip

6Trouble doesn't stay

where gossip is hated.

7It doesn't cost you a thing

to forget a rumor.

8So don't tell it to your enemies

or even your friends,

unless you would be doing wrong

by not speaking up.

9People may be listening

and watching,

and if you repeat gossip,

they might start hating you.

10Treat rumors as secrets

to be kept until you die;

they can even make you feel

as though you might explode,

but be brave--you won't.

11It's harder for a fool

not to repeat gossip,

than for a woman in labor

not to give birth

12or a soldier to ignore an arrow

sticking out of his leg.

* 13Talk to friends or neighbors

if you hear that they

have wronged you

or said something to harm

your reputation.

14If they didn't do it,

you will find out,

and if they did,

they won't do it again.

15Talk to them and get the truth,

because you should not believe

everything you hear.

16We are all guilty

of saying things

that we didn't really mean.

17So don't threaten your friends

before you talk with them,

and always obey the Law

of God Most High.

Fear the Lord

18 If you fear the Lord,

he will accept you,

and if you are wise,

he will give you his love.

19If you learn and follow

the Lord's commands,

you will please him,

and he will allow you to eat

fruit from the tree

that lets you live forever.

20Fearing the Lord

and obeying his Law

are really the same

as having wisdom.

21If slaves refuse to do

what they are told,

their master will be angry

even if they later obey.

22Sin isn't the source of Wisdom,

and so sinners cannot give

good advice.

23Some people are clever

in doing disgusting things;

others are fools only because

they never learned wisdom.

24It is better to fear the Lord

and not be so intelligent,

than to be very smart

and to break his Law.

25Some people are highly skilled

at being unfair

and can even twist your kindness

to help them win

their case in court.

26Some dishonest people

act like they are mourning,

27hiding their faces from you

and pretending not to listen.

But they will use your words

to take advantage of you

when no one is looking.

28They may not be able

to do so now,

but they will wrong you

the first chance they get.

29Merely by looking at people

you know what they are like.

And the first time you meet,

you can tell if someone

has good sense

30by what they wear

and how they walk or laugh.