15  He who justifies the wicked and he who ^dcondemns the righteous

are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

16  Why should a fool have money in his hand to ^ebuy wisdom

when he has no sense?

17  ^fA friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.

18  One who lacks sense ^ggives a pledge

and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.

19  Whoever loves transgression loves strife;

he who makes his door high seeks destruction.

20  A man of ^hcrooked heart does not discover good,

and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.

21  ⁱHe who sires a fool gets himself sorrow,

and the father of a fool has no joy.

22  ^jA joyful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

23  The wicked ^kaccepts a bribe in secret¹

^lto pervert the ways of justice.

24  The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,

but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

25  A foolish son is a grief to his father

and bitterness to her who bore him.

26  To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,

nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.

27  ^mWhoever ⁿrestrains his words has knowledge,

and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

28  Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;

when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.