Read the Bible

¹ Loners who care only for themselves
    spit on the common good.

² Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse;
    all they do is run off at the mouth.

³ When wickedness arrives, shame's not far behind;
    contempt for life is contemptible.

⁴ Many words rush along like rivers in flood,
    but deep wisdom flows up from artesian springs.

⁵ It's not right to go easy on the guilty,
    or come down hard on the innocent.

⁶ The words of a fool start fights;
    do him a favor and gag him.

⁷ Fools are undone by their big mouths;
    their souls are crushed by their words.

⁸ Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy;
    do you really want junk like that in your belly?

⁹ Slack habits and sloppy work
    are as bad as vandalism.

¹⁰ God's name is a place of protection—
    good people can run there and be safe.

¹¹ The rich think their wealth protects them;
    they imagine themselves safe behind it.

¹² Pride first, then the crash,
    but humility is precursor to honor.

¹³ Answering before listening
    is both stupid and rude.

¹⁴ A healthy spirit conquers adversity,
    but what can you do when the spirit is crushed?

¹⁵ Wise men and women are always learning,
    always listening for fresh insights.

¹⁶ A gift gets attention;
    it buys the attention of eminent people.

¹⁷ The first speech in a court case is always convincing—
    until the cross-examination starts!

¹⁸ You may have to draw straws
    when faced with a tough decision.

¹⁹ Do a favor and win a friend forever;
    nothing can untie that bond.

²⁰ Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach;
    good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest.

²¹ Words kill, words give life;
    they're either poison or fruit—you choose.

²² Find a good spouse, you find a good life—
    and even more: the favor of God!

²³ The poor speak in soft supplications;
    the rich bark out answers.

²⁴ Friends come and friends go,
    but a true friend sticks by you like family.