The Lord sees everything
1If you answer someone in a friendly way,
he will not be angry with you anymore,
but if you say something that hurts him,
you will make him angry.
2If you listen to wise men talking,
you learn knowledge,
but when fools talk,
they say stupid things.
3The Lord sees everything,
and He looks at what good and bad people do.
4If someone speaks friendly words,
he helps and heals people,
but if he says things that are dishonest,
he discourages people.
5Fools think that the things
their fathers teach them
are not important,
but anyone who accepts
what his father tells him is wise.
6People who live in the right way
have a lot of things in their homes,
but the things that bad people have
give them trouble.
7The words of a wise man
teach knowledge to a lot of people,
but fools don't know how to do that.
8The Lord hates the offerings
that sinful people bring,
but He accepts the prayers of honest people.
9The Lord hates the things
that sinful people do,
but He loves people who always try
to do what is right.
10The Lord will punish everyone
who turns away from Him.
People who hate it when someone
wants to teach them will die.
11The Lord knows the underworld,
but He knows
the hearts of people even better.
12Someone who laughs at wisdom
does not want people to tell him
how he must live or that he is wrong,
and he will never ask wise people what to do.
13When someone is happy, he smiles,
but when he is sad, he is discouraged.
14A wise man always tries to know more,
but fools are satisfied to stay stupid.
15Every day is hard for people
who suffer, but for happy people,
life is a feast that they enjoy.
16It is better to have a little
and to respect and serve the Lord
than to have a lot of money and a lot of problems.
17It is better to eat only vegetables
with the people who love you
than to eat meat of a fat ox
with people who hate you.
18Someone who gets angry quickly
makes trouble,
but a patient man makes peace.
19The life of a lazy man
is like a path full of thorns,
but the path of an honest man
is like a good road.
20Wise children make their fathers happy,
but foolish children make their mothers sad.
21Someone who does not understand wisdom
is happy because he is foolish,
but a wise person does what is right.
22If you don't ask for good advice,
your plans will not work,
but if you get good advice,
your plans will succeed.
23People enjoy it when they
are able to give a good answer.
It is good to say the right word
at the right time.
24The lives of wise people
get better and better, going up and up,
and they don't go on dangerous roads
that lead down to the underworld.
25The Lord breaks down
the houses of proud people,
but He protects the land of widows.
26The Lord hates the plans of people
who want to do bad things,
but He is pleased with friendly words.
27Someone who always wants
more and more
brings trouble to his family,
but someone who
hates bribe money will live.
28Good and righteous people
think carefully before they answer,
but sinful people say a lot of bad things.
29The Lord is far from
people who do wrong,
and He does not listen to them,
but He listens to the prayers
of righteous people.
30When someone is friendly,
he makes people happy.
Good news makes people feel better.
31Someone who listens
when people tell him that he is wrong
will live with wise people.
32Someone who does not want
to learn hates himself,
but someone who listens
when people teach him becomes wise.
33If you respect and serve the Lord,
you will become wise.
If you are humble, people will respect you.