1 Whoso loveth correction loveth knowledge; But he that hateth reproof is brutish.
2 A good man shall obtain favor of Jehovah; But a man of wicked devices will he condemn.
3 A man shall not be established by wickedness; But the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
4 A worthy woman is the crown of her husband; But she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are just; But the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
6 The words of the wicked are of lying in wait for blood; But the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.
7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not; But the house of the righteous shall stand.
8 A man shall be commended according to his wisdom; But he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.
9 Better is he that is lightly esteemed, and hath a servant, Than he that honoreth himself, and lacketh bread.
10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast; But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
11 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread; But he that followeth after vain persons is void of understanding.
12 The wicked desireth the net of evil men; But the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.
13 In the transgression of the lips is a snare to the evil man; But the righteous shall come out of trouble.
14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth; And the doings of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; But he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel.
16 A fool's vexation is presently known; But a prudent man concealeth shame.
17 He that uttereth truth showeth forth righteousness; But a false witness, deceit.
18 There is that speaketh rashly like the piercings of a sword; But the tongue of the wise is health.
19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever; But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of them that devise evil; But to the counsellors of peace is joy.
21 There shall no mischief happen to the righteous; But the wicked shall be filled with evil.
22 Lying lips are an abomination to Jehovah; But they that deal truly are his delight.
23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge; But the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.
24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule; But the slothful shall be put under taskwork.
25 Heaviness in the heart of a man maketh it stoop; But a good word maketh it glad.
26 The righteous is a guide to his neighbor; But the way of the wicked causeth them to err.
27 The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting; But the precious substance of men is to the diligent.
28 In the way of righteousness is life; And in the pathway thereof there is no death.
You Must Hear the Gospel
Romans 10:17
You must hear the gospel and then understand and recognize that you are lost without Jesus Christ no matter who you are and no matter what your background is. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Before you can be saved, you must understand that you are lost and that the only way to be saved is by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)
You Must Believe
Hebrews 11:6
You must believe and have faith in God because “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) But neither belief alone nor faith alone is sufficient to save. (James 2:19; James 2:24; Matthew 7:21)
You Must Repent
Acts 3:19
You must repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19) But repentance alone is not enough. The so-called “Sinner’s Prayer” that you hear so much about today from denominational preachers does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Indeed, nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever told to pray the “Sinner’s Prayer” to be saved. By contrast, there are numerous examples showing that prayer alone does not save. Saul, for example, prayed following his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), but Saul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always, and yet there was something else he needed to do to be saved (Acts 10:2, 6, 33, 48). If prayer alone did not save Saul or Cornelius, prayer alone will not save you. You must obey the gospel. (2 Thess. 1:8)
You Must Confess
Romans 10:9
You must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) Note that you do NOT need to make Jesus “Lord of your life.” Why? Because Jesus is already Lord of your life whether or not you have obeyed his gospel. Indeed, we obey him, not to make him Lord, but because he already is Lord. (Acts 2:36) Also, no one in the Bible was ever told to just “accept Jesus as your personal savior.” We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but, as with faith and repentance, confession alone does not save. (Matthew 7:21)
You Must Be Baptized
Acts 2:38
Having believed, repented, and confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins. (Acts 2:38) It is at this point (and not before) that your sins are forgiven. (Acts 22:16) It is impossible to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ without teaching the absolute necessity of baptism for salvation. (Acts 8:35-36; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21) Anyone who responds to the question in Acts 2:37 with an answer that contradicts Acts 2:38 is NOT proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ!
You Must Be Faithful Unto Death
Revelation 2:10
Once you are saved, God adds you to his church and writes your name in the Book of Life. (Acts 2:47; Philippians 4:3) To continue in God’s grace, you must continue to serve God faithfully until death. Unless they remain faithful, those who are in God’s grace will fall from grace, and those whose names are in the Book of Life will have their names blotted out of that book. (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:5; Galatians 5:4)