not torn in pieces as a bull (ftraying alone.) 3 Thou shalt eat up thy leaves, and lofe thy fruit, and leave thyfelf as a dry tree. 4 A wicked foul fhall deftroy him that hath it, and fhall make him to be laughed to fcorn of his enemies. and will hide himself from thy face. 13 Separate thyfelf from thine enemies, and take heed of thy friends. 14 A faithful friend is a ftrong defence: and he that hath found fuch an one, hath found a treasure. 15 Nothing doth countervail a faithful friend, 5 Sweet language will multiply friends: and a fair and his excellency is invafpeaking tongue will increase luable. kind greetings. 6 Be in peace with many: nevertheless have but one counsellor of a thoufand. 7 If thou wouldeft get a friend, prove him firft, and be not hafty to credit him. 8 For fome man is a friend for his own occafion, and will not abide in the day of thy trouble. 9 And there is a friend, who, being turned to enmity and ftrife, will difcover thy reproach. 10 Again, fome friend is a companion at the table, and will not continue in the day of thy affliction. 11 But in thy profperity he will be as thyfelf, and will be bold over thy fer vants. 12 If thou be brought low, he will be against thee, 16 A faithful friend is the medicine of life; and they that fear the Lord shall find him. 17 Whofo feareth the Lord fhall direct his friendship aright: for as he is, fo fhall his neighbour be alfo. 18 My fon, gather inftruction from thy youth up: so shalt thou find wisdom till thine old age. 19 Come unto her as one that ploweth and foweth, and wait for her good fruits: for thou shalt not toil much in labouring about her, but thou fhalt eat of her fruits right foon. 20 She is very unpleasant' to the unlearned: he that is without understanding will not remain with her. 21 She will lie upon him, as a mighty ftone of trial; and he will caft her from him ere it be long. LI 22 For 22 For wisdom is accord- thou fhalt receive under ing to her name, and fhe is not manifeft unto many. 23 Give ear, my fon, receive my advice, and refufe not my counsel. 24 And put thy feet into her fetters, and thy neck into her chain. 25 Bow down thy fhoulder, and bear her, and be not grieved with her bonds. 26 Come unto her with thy whole heart, and keep her ways with all thy power. 27 Search and feek, and fhe fhall be made known unto thee: and when thou haft got hold of her, let her not go. 28 For at the last thou fhalt find her reft, and that fhall be turned to thy joy. 29 Then fhall her fetters be a strong defence for thee, and her chains a robe of glory: 30 For there is a golden ornament upon her, and her bands are purple lace. 31 Thou shalt put her on as a robe of honour: and fhalt put her about thee as a crown of joy. 32 My fon, if thou wilt, thou shalt be taught: and if thou wilt apply thy mind, thou fhalt be prudent. ftanding: and if thou bow thine ear, thou shalt be wife. 34 Stand in the multitude of the elders, and cleave unto him that is wife. 35 Be willing to hear every godly difcourfe, and let not the parables of underftanding escape thee. 36 And if thou feest a man of understanding, get thee betimes unto him, and let thy foot wear the fteps of his door. 37 Let thy mind be upon the ordinances of the Lord, and meditate continually in his commandments: he shall establish thine heart, and give thee wifdom at thine own defire. 2 Depart from the unjust, and iniquity fhall turn away from thee. 3 My fon, fow not upon the furrows of unrighteoufnefs, and thou shalt not reap them feven fold. 4¶ Seek not of the Lord pre-eminence, neither of the king the feat of honour. 5 Juftify not thyfelf before 33 If thou love to hear, the Lord, and boast not 9 of of thy wisdom before the king. 6 Seek not to be judge, being not able to take away iniquity, left at any time thou fear the perfon of the mighty, and lay a ftumbling block in the way of thy uprightness. 7 Offend not against the multitude of a city, and then thou fhalt not caft thyfelf down among the people. 8 Bind not one fin upon another, for in one thou fhalt not be unpunished. 9 Say not, God will look upon the multitude of my oblations, and when I offer to the most high God, he will accept it. 10 ¶ Be not faint-hearted when thou makest thy prayer, and neglect not to give alms. II Laugh no man to scorn in the bitterness of his foul: for there is one which humbleth and exalteth. 12 Devife not a lye against thy brother: neither do the like to thy friend. 13 Ufe not to make any manner of lye: for the cuttom thereof is not good. 14 Ufe not many words in a multitude of elders, and make not much babbling when thou praveft. 15 Hate not laborious work, neither husbandry, which the moft High hath ordained. 16 Number not thyself among the multitude of finners, but remember that wrath will not tarry long. 17 Humble thy foul greatly for the vengeance of the ungodly is fire and worms. 18 Change not a friend for any good by no means: neither a faithful brother for the gold of Ophir. 19 Forego not a wife and good woman, for her grace is above gold. 20 Whereas thy fervant worketh truly, entreat him not evil, nor the hireling that beftoweth himself wholly for thee. 21 Let thy foul love a good fervant, and defraud him not of liberty. 22 Haft thou cattle? have an eye to them: and if they be for thy profit, keep them with thee. 23 Haft thou children? inftruct them, and bow down their neck from their youth. 24 Haft thou daughters? have a care of their body, and thew not thy face cheerful toward them. 25 Marry thy daughter, and fofhalt thou have performed a LI 2 weighty weighty matter: but give them that weep, and mourn her to a man of understand- with them that mourn. ing. 26 Haft thou a wife after thy mind? forfake her not: but give not thyself over to a light woman. 35 Be not flow to vifit the fick: for that shall make thee to be beloved. 36 Whatsoever thou takeft in hand, remember the end, and thou fhalt never do 27 Honour thy father with thy whole heart, and forget amifs. not the forrows of thy mother. 28 Remember that thou waft begot of them, and how canft thou recompenfe them the things that they have done for thee? 29 Fear the Lord with all thy foul, and reverence his priests. CHAP. VIII. TRIVE not with a mighty man, left thou fall into his hands. 2 Be not at variance with a rich man, left he overweigh thee: for gold hath deftroyed many, and perverted the hearts of kings. 30 Love him that made 3 Strive not with a man thee with all thy ftrength, that is full of tongue, and and forfake not his mini-heap not wood fters. fire. upon his 31 Fear the Lord, and ho- 4 Jeft not with a rude nour the priest; and give man, left thy ancestors be him his portion, as it is com-difgraced. manded thee; the firft-fruits, 5 Reproach not a man and the trefpafs-offering, and that turneth from fin, but rethe gift of the fhoulders, and member that we are all worthe facrifice of fanctification, thy of punishment. and the firft-fruits of the holy things. 32 And stretch thine hand unto the poor, that thy bleffing may be perfected. 6 Difhonour not a man in his old age: for even fome of us wax old. 7 Rejoice not over thy greatest enemy being dead, but remember that we die 33 A gift hath grace in the fight of every man liv- fall. ing, and for the dead detain it not. 8 Defpife not the difT courfe of the wife, but ac 34 Fail not to be with quaint thyfelf with their pro verbs; for of them thou | blood is as nothing in his fhalt learn inftruction, and how to serve great men with ease. 9 Mifs not the difcourfe of the elders; for they alfo learned of their fathers, and of them thou fhalt learn understanding, and to give anfwer as need requireth. 10 Kindle not the coals of a finner, left thou be burnt with the flame of his fire. II Rife not up [in anger] at the presence of an inju rious perfon, left he lie in wait to entrap thee in thy words. 12 Lend not unto him that is mightier than thyself; for if thou lendeft him, count it but loft. 13 Be not furety above thy power; for if thou be furety, take care to pay it. 14 Go not to law with a judge, for they will judge for him according to his ho nour. 15 ¶ Travel not by the way with a bold fellow, left he become grievous unto thee; for he will do according to his own will, and thou fhalt perish with him through his folly. 16 Strive not with an angry man, and go not with him into a folitary place; for + fight, and where there is no help, he will overthrow thee. 17 Confult not with a fool, for he cannot keep counfel. 18 Do no fecret thing before a ftranger, for thou knoweft not what he will bring forth. 19 Open not thine heart to every man, left he requite thee with a fhrewd turn. BE CHAP. IX. E not jealous over the wife of thy bofom, and teach her not an evil leffon against thyself. 2 Give not thy foul unto a woman, to fet her foot upon thy fubftance. 3¶ Meet not with an harlot, left thou fall into her fnares. 4 Ufe not much the company of a woman that is a finger, left thou be taken with her attempts. 5 Gaze not on a maid, that thou fall not by those things that are precious in her. 6 Give not thy foul unto harlots, that thou lose not thine inheritance. 7 Look not round about thee in the streets of the city, neither wander thou in LI 3 the |