1If you obey him,

you will be protected

and rescued from danger.

2You are wise to love God's Law,

but if you are not sincere,

you will be tossed around

like a boat in a storm.

3 Be sensible and trust

what God has said in his Law.

4If you want others to listen,

then think about what you know

and how to say it best.

5Fools talk in circles

like a wheel going around.

6To make fun of a friend

is to act like a horse

that snorts at anyone

who tries to ride.

Differences between People

7Each day of the year

depends on the sun for light,

so why are some days

more important than others?

8The Lord used his wisdom

and made them different.

Some have a special meaning,

others are festivals,

9and some are sacred days--

but most are ordinary.

10 We humans were made

from the soil,

11and the Lord used great wisdom

to make each of us different,

with different destinies.

12He blessed our ancestors

and made them great,

and he even let some

be his holy priests.

But he put a curse

on the nations of Canaan--

they were defeated

and forced to leave the land.

13Humans become

what the Creator chooses,

just as clay is shaped

by the hands of the potter.

14There are many opposites--

good and evil, life and death,

sinners and God's people.

15You can see that God Most High

made everything the opposite

of something else.

The Last of the Teachers of Wisdom

16I am the last in the line

of the teachers of wisdom,

like a poor man picking grapes

after the main harvest.

17But the Lord blessed me,

and I gathered enough grapes

to fill a wine-pit.

18I wasn't working

just for my own good,

but to help all those

who want to learn wisdom.

19So pay attention to what I say,

all you officials and leaders.

Freedom

20Never give anyone else power

to make decisions for you--

not your husband or wife,

and not your children,

relatives, or friends.

And don't give away property--

if you later want it returned,

you will have to beg for it.

21As long as you are alive,

don't let others run your life.

22It is better that your children

ask you for money

than for you to ask them.

23Be the best at whatever you do,

and do only what brings honor

and not shame.

24Wait until you are about to die

before giving your children

their inheritance.

How To Treat Slaves

25If you feed your donkeys

and beat them with a stick,

they will carry their loads.

Slaves are like that--

feed and discipline them,

and they will do their work.

26If you don't want trouble,

keep your slaves busy;

otherwise, they will have time

to think about becoming free.

27Use collars and leather straps

to keep slaves at their work,

and punish the rebellious ones

by torturing them.

* 28Keep your slaves busy

or they will have time to think

29of ways to cause trouble.

30Slaves are supposed to work,

so give them something to do,

and if they refuse to obey,

put them in chains.

But always be fair,

not arrogant.

31If one slave is all you have,

treat him like a family member

or even as you treat yourself.

You worked a long time

to buy that slave,

and you need his help

to survive.

32If you are mean,

and that slave runs away,

33where will you look for him?