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6 Let not the wages of any man, which hath wrought for thee, tarry with thee, but give him it out of hand: for if thou serve God, he will also repay thee: be circumspect, my son, in all things thou doest, and be wise in all thy conversation.

7 Do that to no man which thou hatest: drink not wine to make thee drunken: neither let drunkenness go with thee in thy journey.

8 Give of thy bread to the hungry, and of thy garments to them that are naked.

9 Do right to the widow, judge for the fatherless, give to the poor, defend the orphan, clothe the naked,

10 Heal the broken and the weak, laugh not a lame man to scorn, defend the maimed, and let the blind man come into the sight of my clearness.

11 Be not hasty in thy tongue, and in thy deeds slack and remiss.

12 Be not as a lion in thy house, nor frantic among thy servants.

13 Whereas thy servant worketh truly, entreat him not evil,

nor the hireling that bestoweth himself wholly for thee.

14 Let thy soul love a good servant, and defraud him not of liberty.

15 A furious man cannot be justified; for the sway of his fury shall be his destruction.

16 A patient man will bear for a time, and afterward joy shall spring up unto him.

17 He will hide his words for a time, and the lips of many shall declare his wisdom.

18 And he that requiteth good turns is mindful of that which may come hereafter; and when he falleth, he shall find a stay.

19 Abstain from strife, and thou shalt diminish thy sins: for a furious man will kindle strife.

20 A sinful man disquieteth friends, and maketh debate among them that be at peace.

LESSON XXVIII.

KEEP thou the law and the commandments, and shew thyself merciful and just, that it may go well with thee.

2 For the Lord is judge; and with him is no respect of per

sons.

3 He will not accept any person against a poor man, but will hear the prayer of the oppressed.

4 He will not despise the supplication of the fatherless; nor the widow, when she poureth out her complaint.

5 Do not the tears run down the widow's cheeks? and is not

her cry against him that causeth them to fall?

6 He that serveth the Lord shall be accepted with favour, and his prayer shall reach unto the clouds.

7 The prayer of the humble pierceth the clouds: and till it come nigh, he will not be comforted; and will not depart, till the Most High shall behold to judge righteously, and execute judgement.

8 For the Lord will not be slack, neither will the Mighty be patient toward them, till he have smitten in sunder the loins of the unmerciful; till he have taken away the multitude of the proud, and broken the sceptre of the unrighteous;

9 Till he have rendered to every man according to his deeds, and to the works of men according to their devices; till he have judged the cause of his people, and made them to rejoice in his mercy.

find vengeance from the Lord; and he will surely keep his sins in remembrance.

11 Forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee, so shall thy sins also be forgiven when thou prayest.

12 One man beareth hatred against another; and doth he seek pardon from the Lord?

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13 He sheweth no mercy to a man, which is like himself; and doth he ask forgiveness of his own sins?

14 If he that is but flesh nourish hatred, who will entreat for pardon of his sins?

15 Remember thy end, and let enmity cease; remember corruption and death, and abide in the commandments.

16 Remember the commandments, and bear no malice to thy neighbour: remember the covenant of the Highest, and wink at ignorance.

17 Mercy is seasonable in the time of affliction, as clouds ¶ 10 He that revengeth shall of rain in the time of drought.

SECTION XV.-Moderation and Liberality.

LESSON XXIX.

SET not thy heart upon thy goods; and say not, I have enough for my life.

2 Set not thine heart upon goods unjustly gotten; for they shall not profit thee in the day of calamity.

3 There is, that waxeth rich by his wariness and pinching, and this is the portion of his reward:

4 Whereas he saith, I have found rest, and now will eat continually of my goods; and yet he knoweth not what time shall come upon him, and that he must leave those things to others, and die.

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5 Riches are not comely for a niggard and what should an envious man do with money?

6 He that gathereth by defrauding his own soul gathereth

for others, that shall spend his goods riotously.

7 He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good? he shall not take pleasure in his goods.

8 There is none worse than he that envieth himself; and this is a recompence of his wickedness.

9 And if he doeth good, he doeth it unwillingly; and at the last he will declare his wickedness.

10 The envious man hath a wicked eye; he turneth away his face, and despiseth men.

11 A covetous man's eye is not satisfied with his portion; and the iniquity of the wicked drieth up his soul.

12 A wicked eye envieth his bread, and he is a niggard at his table.

13 He counteth his life a pastime, and his time here a market for gain: for, saith he, I must be getting every way, though it be by evil means.

14 There is not a more wicked thing than a covetous man for such an one setteth his own soul to sale.

15 Because of unrighteous dealings, injuries, and riches got by deceit, the kingdom is translated from one people to another.

16 A little with righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold.

17 Many have sinned for a small matter; and he that seeketh for abundance will turn his eyes away.

18 As a nail sticketh fast between the joinings of the stones; so doth sin stick close between buying and selling.

19 Unless a man hold himself diligently in the fear of the Lord, his house shall soon be overthrown.

LESSON XXX.

WATCHING for riches consumeth the flesh, and the care thereof driveth away sleep.

2 Watching care will not let a man slumber, as a sore disease breaketh sleep.

3 Health and good estate of body are above all gold, and a strong body above infinite wealth.

4 There is no riches above a sound body, and no joy above the joy of the heart.

5 He that loveth gold shall not be justified, and he that followeth corruption shall have enough thereof.

6 Gold hath been the ruin of many, and their destruction was present.

7 It is a stumblingblock unto them that sacrifice unto it, and every fool shall be taken therewith.

8 Blessed is the rich that is found without blemish, and hath not gone after gold.

9 Who is he? and we will call him blessed : for wonderful things hath he done among his people.

10 Who hath been tried thereby, and found perfect? then let him glory. Who might offend, and hath not offended?

or done evil, and hath not done it?

11 His goods shall be established, and the congregation shall declare his alms.

12 He that is merciful will lend unto his neighbour; and he that strengtheneth his hand keepeth the commandments.

13 Lend to thy neighbour in time of his need; and pay thou thy neighbour again in due sea

son.

14 Keep thy word, and deal faithfully with him, and thou shalt always find the thing that is necessary for thee.

15 Let not thine hand be stretched out to receive, and shut when thou shouldest repay.

16 Many, when a thing was lent them, reckoned it to be found, and put them to trouble that helped them.

17 Many therefore have refused to lend for other men's ill dealing, fearing to be defrauded.

18 Yet have thou patience with a man in poor estate, and delay not to shew him mercy.

19 Help the poor for the commandment's sake, and turn him not away because of his poverty.

20 Lose thy money for thy brother and thy friend, and let it not rust under a stone, to be lost.

21 Lay up thy treasure according to the commandments of the Most High, and it shall bring thee more profit than gold.

22 Shut up alms in thy storehouses; and it shall deliver thee from all affliction.

23 It shall fight for thee against thine enemies better than a mighty shield and strong spear.

24 Bountifulness is as a most fruitful garden, and mercifulness endureth for ever.

SECTION XVI.-Discretion.

LESSON XXXI.

SPEAK, young man, if there be need of thee: and yet scarcely when thou art twice asked.

2 Let thy speech be short, comprehending much in few words; be as one that knoweth, and yet holdeth his tongue.

3 If thou be among great men, make not thyself equal with them; and when ancient men are in place, use not many words.

so thou shalt be heard: and bind up instruction, and then make answer.

5 If thou hast gathered nothing in thy youth, how canst thou find any thing in thine age?

6 O how comely a thing is judgement for gray hairs, and for ancient men to know counsel!

70 how comely is the wisdom of old men, and understanding and counsel to men of

4 Prepare what to say, and honour!

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business shall become wise.

11 By speech wisdom shall be known and learning by the word of the tongue.

12 He that can rule his tongue shall live without strife ; and he that hateth babbling shall have less evil.

13 Rehearse not unto another that which is told unto thee, and thou shalt fare never the worse.

14 The stroke of the whip maketh marks in the flesh : but the stroke of the tongue breaketh the bones.

15 My son, blemish not thy good deeds, neither use uncomfortable words when thou givest any thing.

16 Shall not the dew assuage the heat? so is a word better than a gift.

17 Lo, is not a word better than a gift? but both are with a gracious man.

18 A fool will upbraid churl. ishly, and a gift of the envious consumeth the eyes.

¶ 19 Do nothing without advice; and when thou hast once done, repent not.

20 Go not in a way wherein thou mayest fall, and stumble not among the stones.

21 My son, prove thy soul in thy life, and see what is

evil for it, and give not that unto it.

22 For all things are not profitable for all men, neither hath every soul pleasure in every thing.

23 And let the counsel of thine own heart stand: for there is no man more faithful unto thee than it.

24 For a man's mind is some.. time wont to tell him more than seven watchmen, that sit above in an high tower.

25 And above all this pray to the Most High, that he will direct thy way in truth.

26 Let reason go before every enterprise, and counsel before every action.

27 Do no evil, so shall no harm come unto thee.

28 Depart from the unjust, and iniquity shall turn away from thee.

29 The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom, neither at any time the counsel of sinners prudence.

30 All iniquity is as a twoedged sword, the wounds whereof cannot be healed.

31 Let all things be performed after the law of God diligently unto the most high God.

32 Well is him that hath found prudence, and he that speaketh in the ears of them that will hear.

33 O how great is he that findeth wisdom! yet is there none above him that feareth the Lord.

34 But the love of the Lord passeth all things for illumina

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