The wicked flee though no one pursues,  but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
2 When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,  but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.
3 A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.
4 Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked, but those who heed it resist them.
5 Evildoers do not understand what is right,
    but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.
6 Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse.
7 A discerning son heeds instruction, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
8 Whoever increases wealth by taking interestor profit from the poor amasses it for another,who will be kind to the poor.
9 If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.
10 Whoever leads the upright along an evil path
  will fall into their own trap, but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.
11 The rich are wise in their own eyes; one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.
12 When the righteous triumph, there is great elation; but when the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.
13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,  but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
14 Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,  but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.
15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear  is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
16 A tyrannical ruler practices extortion,  but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.
17 Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder will seek refuge in the grave;  let no one hold them back.