Then I will praise God's name with singing, and I will honor him with thanksgiving. For this will please the Lord more than sacrificing cattle, more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves. The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God's help be encouraged. For the Lord hears the cries of the needy; he does not despise his imprisoned people.
Praise him, O heaven and earth, the seas and all that move in them. For God will save Jerusalem and rebuild the towns of Judah. His people will live there and settle in their own land. The descendants of those who obey him will inherit the land, and those who love him will live there in safety.
Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.
The rich and poor have this in common: The Lord made them both.
A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life.
Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will avoid it.
Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.
Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.
Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will come to an end.
Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.
Throw out the mocker, and fighting goes, too. Quarrels and insults will disappear.
Whoever loves a pure heart and gracious speech will have the king as a friend.
The Lord preserves those with knowledge, but he ruins the plans of the treacherous.
The lazy person claims, "There's a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!"
The mouth of an immoral woman is a dangerous trap; those who make the Lord angry will fall into it.
A youngster's heart is filled with foolishness, but physical discipline will drive it far away.
A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty.
Listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to my instruction. For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart and always ready on your lips. I am teaching you today - yes, you - so you will trust in the Lord. I have written thirty sayings for you, filled with advice and knowledge. In this way, you may know the truth and take an accurate report to those who sent you.
Don't rob the poor just because you can, or exploit the needy in court. For the Lord is their defender. He will ruin anyone who ruins them.
Don't befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.
Don't agree to guarantee another person's debt or put up security for someone else. If you can't pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you.
Don't cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers set up by previous generations.
Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people.
For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.