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1 Better a dry crust with peace
and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.
2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son, and
will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
but the Lord tests the heart.
4 A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays
attention to a malicious tongue.
5 He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their
Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.
6 Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and
parents are the pride of their children.
7 Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool— how much worse
lying lips to a ruler!
8 A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever
he turns, he succeeds.
9 He who covers over an offense promotes love, but
whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.
10 A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a
hundred lashes a fool.
11 An evil man is bent only on rebellion; a merciless
official will be sent against him.
12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a
fool in his folly.
13 If a man pays back evil for good, evil will never
leave his house.
14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop
the matter before a dispute breaks out.
15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—
the Lord detests them both.
16 Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since
he has no desire to get wisdom?
17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born
for adversity.
18 A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge
and puts up security for his neighbor.
19 He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a
high gate invites destruction.
20 A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose
tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
21 To have a fool for a son brings grief; there is no
joy for the father of a fool.
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed
spirit dries up the bones.
23 A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert
the course of justice.
24 A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool’s
eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son brings grief to his father and
bitterness to the one who bore him.
26 It is not good to punish an innocent man, or to
flog officials for their integrity.
27 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a
man of understanding is even-tempered.
28 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and
discerning if he holds his tongue.
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Cults 
Why Did God Permit Sin?
