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8:1  Do not contend with the mighty, lest you fall into their power.
8:2  Do not quarrel with the rich, lest they pay out the price of your downfall. For gold has unsettled many, and wealth perverts the character of princes.
8:3  Do not quarrel with loud-mouths, or heap wood upon their fire.
8:4  Do not associate with the senseless, lest your ancestors be insulted.
8:5  Do not reproach one who turns away from sin; remember, we all are guilty.
8:6  Do not insult one who is old, for some of us will also grow old.
8:7  Do not rejoice when someone dies; remember, we are all to be gathered in.
8:8  Do not neglect the discourse of the wise, but busy yourself with their proverbs; For in this way you will acquire the training to stand in the presence of princes.
8:9  Do not reject the tradition of the elders which they have heard from their ancestors; For from it you will learn how to answer when the need arises.
8:10  Do not kindle the coals of sinners, lest you be burned in their flaming fire.
8:11  Do not give ground before scoundrels; it will set them in ambush against you.
8:12  Do not lend to one more powerful than yourself; or if you lend, count it as lost.
8:13  Do not give collateral beyond your means; consider any collateral a debt you must pay.
8:14  Do not go to court against a judge, for the case will be settled in his favor.
8:15  Do not travel with the ruthless lest they weigh you down with calamity; For they will only go their own way, and through their folly you will also perish.
8:16  Do not defy the quick-tempered, or ride with them through the desert. For bloodshed is nothing to them; when there is no one to help, they will destroy you.
8:17  Do not take counsel with simpletons, for they cannot keep a confidence.
8:18  Before a stranger do nothing that should be kept secret, for you do not know what it will produce later on.
8:19  Open your heart to no one, do not banish your happiness.