A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a difficult time.

One without sense enters an agreement
and puts up security for his friend.

One who loves to offend loves strife;
one who builds a high threshold invites injury.

One with a twisted mind will not succeed,
and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin.

Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive,
but a fool’s eyes roam to the ends of the earth.

The intelligent person restrains his words,
and one who keeps a cool head
is a man of understanding.

Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent,
discerning when he seals his lips.

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A foolish son is grief to his father
and bitterness to the one who bore him.

It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person
or to beat a noble for his honesty.

A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow;
the father of a fool has no joy.

A wicked man secretly takes a bribe
to subvert the course of justice.

Better a dry crust with peace
than a house full of feasting with strife.

Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,
but whoever gossips about it separates friends.

Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,
and the pride of sons is their fathers.

Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just—
both are detestable to the Lord.

A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold,
and the Lord is the tester of hearts.

The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker,
and one who rejoices over calamity
will not go unpunished.

To start a conflict is to release a flood;
stop the dispute before it breaks out.

Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips;
how much worse are lies for a ruler.

Why does a fool have money in his hand
with no intention of buying wisdom?

A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person
more than a hundred lashes into a fool.

A wicked person listens to malicious talk;
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

Better for a man to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than a fool in his foolishness.

A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and share an inheritance among brothers.

A bribe seems like a magic stone to its owner;
wherever he turns, he succeeds.

An evil man seeks only rebellion;
a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

If anyone returns evil for good,
evil will never depart from his house.