30 wise thoughts
17 Listen carefully. I will teach you what wise people have said. Think about the things that I am teaching you. 18 If you remember these things, you will be happy. Tell them to other people. 19 I want you to trust in the Lord. So I will tell you these things today. They are for you.
20 I have written down 30 wise thoughts for you. They will teach you what is right, so that you know how to live well. 21 You can trust these words because they are true. Then you can give a good answer to the people who sent you to me.
22:20We have put in the numbers (1 to 30).
22 1. Do not cheat poor people just because they are poor. Do not attack helpless people in court.
23 The Lord will speak on their behalf. He will punish anyone who cheats them.
24 2. Do not become a friend of angry people. Keep away from them. 25 You might become angry, like them. Then you would spoil your whole life.
26 3. Do not promise to pay someone else's debt. 27 If you cannot pay, they will take away your bed, even while you are sleeping on it!
28 4. Do not move any stone that shows the border of your land. Your ancestors put it there to stop arguments.
29 5. A worker with special skills may work for a king. He will no longer have to work for ordinary people.
