1Students, if you

are sinning, stop.

Ask God to forgive you.

2Sin is a deadly snake

with lion's fangs.

Stay away! If you come close

you will be bitten.

3Lawlessness kills

like a sword with two edges

swung this way and that.

4If you are too shy

or proud and arrogant,

you can lose your wealth

and even your home.

5 The prayers of the poor

go straight to God's ear,

and he quickly answers.

6If you hate correction,

you will become a sinner,

but if you take it to heart,

you will obey the Lord.

7Good speakers can be famous,

but people with common sense

will catch every mistake.

8Borrowing to build your house

is like gathering stones

to mark your own grave.

9A meeting of evil people

is a bundle of straw,

where a small flame

ends in a blazing fire.

10For a sinner, the road of life

is smooth, but it slopes down

to the world of the dead.

Fear the Lord and Become Wise

11Fear the Lord in every way,

and you will become wise;

Control your thoughts,

and you can obey his Law.

12You have to be smart to learn,

but some kinds of smartness

only make other people bitter.

13The knowledge of the wise

is an overflowing river,

and their advice

is a life-giving spring.

14The mind of a fool

is a leaking jar

that holds nothing for long.

15When the wise hear a proverb,

they give it praise

and add more to it;

but fools merely laugh

and forget it.

16Listening to a fool is tiring,

like carrying a heavy backpack

on a journey,

but listening to someone smart

is refreshing.

17In a town meeting, people look

for some common sense,

and when they hear it,

they will think about

what was said.

18Knowledge means nothing

to ignorant fools,

and wisdom is useless

as a burned-down house.

19Fools think learning puts chains

on their hands and feet,

20and they laugh at it loudly.

But smart people just smile,

21because they know that learning

is a golden bracelet.

22Fools will push past you

into your home,

but the wise will wait

at your door.

* 23They are polite and will not try

to see inside

or to hear what is going on,

24because that would be rude

and shameful.

25Some people won't stop talking

about things that are none

of their business.

But sensible people

weigh each word

before it is spoken.

26In a fool, the mind thinks

only after the mouth speaks,

but in a wise person,

the mind controls the mouth.

27The ungodly fall under any curse

that they try to place

on their enemies.

28If you spread gossip,

your character will be ruined

and your neighbors

will hate you.