| The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy man will be put to forced labor. | Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave. |
| Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad. | Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. |
| He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. | Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything. |
| The ransom of a man’s life is his riches, But the poor does not hear rebuke. | The rich can pay a ransom for their lives, but the poor won’t even get threatened. |
| By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom. | Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise. |
| Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, But he who gathers by labor will increase. | Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time. |
| Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. | Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. |
| He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. | Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. |
| A faithful witness does not lie, But a false witness will utter lies. | An honest witness does not lie; a false witness breathes lies. |
| There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. | There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. |
| In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty. | Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty! |
| He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts folly. | People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness. |
| Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people. | Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people. |
| A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. | A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. |
| A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit. | Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. |
| A fool despises his father’s instruction, But he who receives correction is prudent. | Only a fool despises a parent’s discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise. |
| Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, Than great treasure with trouble. | Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil. |
| Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established. | Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success. |
| A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is! | Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time! |
| The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility. | Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor. |
| Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established. | Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. |
| Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice. | Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest. |
| A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. | We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. |
| How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. | How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver! |
| He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he. | Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful. |
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