Proverbs 11:6-16

6 Good character is the best insurance; crooks get trapped in their sinful lust.
7 When the wicked die, that's it - the story's over, end of hope.
8 A good person is saved from much trouble; a bad person runs straight into it.
9 The loose tongue of the godless spreads destruction; the common sense of the godly preserves them.
10 When it goes well for good people, the whole town cheers; when it goes badly for bad people, the town celebrates.
11 When right-living people bless the city, it flourishes; evil talk turns it into a ghost town in no time.
12 Mean-spirited slander is heartless; quiet discretion accompanies good sense.
13 A gadabout gossip can't be trusted with a secret, but someone of integrity won't violate a confidence.
14 Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.
15 Whoever makes deals with strangers is sure to get burned; if you keep a cool head, you'll avoid rash bargains.
16 A woman of gentle grace gets respect, but men of rough violence grab for loot. A God-Shaped Life
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.