Read the Bible

¹ Here are some proverbs
    of Solomon:
Children with good sense
    make their parents happy,
    but foolish children
    make them sad.
² What you gain by doing evil
    won't help you at all,
    but being good^[a]
    can save you from death.

³ If you obey the Lord,
    you won't go hungry;
if you are wicked,
    God won't let you have
    what you want.
⁴ Laziness leads to poverty;
    hard work makes you rich.
⁵ At harvest season
it's smart to work hard,
    but stupid to sleep.

⁶ Everyone praises good people,
    but evil hides behind
    the words of the wicked.
⁷ Good people are remembered
    long after they are gone,
    but the wicked
    are soon forgotten.

⁸ If you have good sense,
    you will listen and obey;
    if all you do is talk,
    you will destroy yourself.
⁹ You will be safe,
    if you always do right,
    but you will get caught,
    if you are dishonest.
¹⁰ Deceit causes trouble,
    and foolish talk
    will bring you to ruin.^[b]
11 The words of good people
    are a source of life,
    but evil hides behind
    the words of the wicked.

¹² Hatred stirs up trouble;
    love overlooks the wrongs
    that others do.
¹³ If you have good sense,
    it will show when you speak.
    But if you are stupid,
you will be beaten
    with a stick.
¹⁴ If you have good sense,
    you will learn all you can,
    but foolish talk
    will soon destroy you.

¹⁵ Great wealth can be a fortress,
    but poverty
    is no protection at all.
¹⁶ If you live right,
    the reward is a good life;
    if you are evil,
    all you have is sin.

¹⁷ Accept correction,
    and you will find life;
    reject correction,
    and you will miss the road.
¹⁸ You can hide your hatred
    by telling lies,
    but you are a fool
    to spread lies.
¹⁹ You will say the wrong thing
    if you talk too much—
    so be sensible and watch
    what you say.
²⁰ The words of a good person
    are like pure silver,
    but the thoughts
of an evil person
    are almost worthless.
²¹ Many are helped
    by useful instruction,
    but fools are killed
    by their own stupidity.

²² When the Lord blesses you
with riches,
    you have nothing to regret.^[c]
23 Fools enjoy doing wrong,
    but anyone with good sense
    enjoys acting wisely.
²⁴ What evil people dread most
    will happen to them,
    but good people will get
    what they want most.
²⁵ Those crooks will disappear
    when a storm strikes,
    but God will keep safe
    all who obey him.
²⁶ Having a lazy person on the job
    is like a mouth full of vinegar
    or smoke in your eyes.

²⁷ If you respect the Lord,
    you will live longer;
    if you keep doing wrong,
    your life will be cut short.
²⁸ If you obey the Lord,
    you will be happy,
    but there is no future
    for the wicked.
²⁹ The Lord protects everyone
    who lives right,
    but he destroys anyone
    who does wrong.
³⁰ Good people will stand firm,
    but the wicked
    will lose their land.
³¹ Honest people speak sensibly,
    but deceitful liars
    will be silenced.
³² If you obey the Lord,
    you will always know
    the right thing to say.
But no one will trust you
    if you tell lies.