1 Honour the physician for necessity: for the Highest hath created him.
1 Honor the physician for the need thou hast of him: for the most High hath created him.
2 For all medicine is of God, & it shall receive gift of the king.
2 For all healing is from God, and he shall receive gifts of the king.
3 The knowledge of the physician shall exalt his head, and in the sight of great men he shall be praised.
3 The skill of the physician shall lift up his head, and in the sight of great men he shall be praised.
4 The Highest hath created medicines of the earth, and a wise man will not abhor them.
4 The most High hath created medicines out of the earth, and a wise man will not abhor them.
5 Was not bitter water made sweet by wood?
5 ¹Was not bitter water made sweet with wood?
6 The virtue of these things is come to the knowledge of men, and the Highest hath given knowledge to men, for to be honoured in his marvelous things.
6 The virtue of these things is come to the knowledge of men, and the most High hath given knowledge to men, that he may be honored in his wonders.
7 Curing with these things he shall mitigate pain, and the apothecary shall make confections of sweetness, and shall make ointments of health, and his works shall not be consummated.
7 By these he shall cure and shall allay their pains, and of these the apothecary shall make sweet confections, and shall make up ointments of health, and of his works there shall be no end.
8 For the peace of God is upon the face of the earth.
8 For the peace of God is over all the face of the earth.
9 Son in thine infirmity contemn not thyself, but pray our Lord, and he will cure thee.
9 ²My son, in thy sickness neglect not thyself, but pray to the Lord, and he shall heal thee.
10 Turn away from sin, and direct thy hands, and from all offence cleanse thy heart.
10 Turn away from sin and order thy hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all offence.
11 Give sweetness and a memorial of fine flour, and make a fat oblation, and give place to the physician.
11 Give a sweet savor, and a memorial of fine flour, and make a fat offering, and then give place to the physician.
12 For our Lord created him: and let him not depart from thee, because his works be necessary.
12 For the Lord created him: and let him not depart from thee, for his works are necessary.
13 For there is a time when thou mayst fall into their hands:
13 For there is a time when thou must fall into their hands:
14 and they shall beseech our Lord, that he direct their rest, and healing; for their conversation.
14 And they shall beseech the Lord, that he would prosper what they give for ease and remedy, for their conversation.
15 He that sinneth in his sight, that made him, shall fall into the hands of the physician.
15 He that sinneth in the sight of his Maker, shall fall into the hands of the physician.
16 Son, upon the dead shed tears, and begin to weep as having suffered doleful things, and according to judgement cover his body, and neglect not his burial.
16 My son, shed tears over the dead, and begin to lament as if thou hadst suffered some great harm, and according to judgment cover his body, and neglect not his burial.
17 But for detraction bear bitterly the mourning of him one day, and be comforted for the heaviness,
17 And for fear of being ill spoken of weep bitterly for a day, and then comfort thyself in thy sadness.
18 and make mourning according to his desert one day, or two, because of detraction.
18 And make mourning for him according to his merit for a day, or two, for fear of detraction.
19 For by heaviness death hasteneth, and it covereth the strength, and sorrow of the heart boweth the neck.
19 ³For of sadness cometh death, and it overwhelmeth the strength, and the sorrow of the heart boweth down the neck.
20 In abstraction sorrow is permanent: and the substance of the poor is according to his heart.
20 In withdrawing aside sorrow remaineth: and the substance of the poor is according to his heart.
21 Give not thine heart into heaviness, but expel it from thee: and remember the latter ends,
21 Give not up thy heart to sadness, but drive it from thee: and remember the latter end.
22 and forget not: for neither is there return, and him thou shalt profit nothing, and thou shalt hurt thyself.
22 Forget it not: for there is no returning, and thou shalt do him no good, and shalt hurt thyself.
23 Be mindful of my judgement: for thine also must be so: to me yesterday, and to thee today.
23 Remember my judgment: for thine also shall be so: yesterday for me, and today for thee.
24 In the repose of the dead make the memory of him to rest, and comfort him in the departing of his spirit.
24 ⁴When the dead is at rest, let his remembrance rest, and comfort him in the departing of his spirit.
25 The wisdom of a scribe in the time of vacancy: and he that is less in action, shall receive wisdom.
25 The wisdom of a scribe cometh by his time of leisure: and he that is less in action, shall receive wisdom.
26 With what wisdom shall he be replenished, that holdeth the plough, and glorieth in the goad, driveth oxen with the prickle, and converseth in their works, and his talk is in the breed of bulls?
26 With what wisdom shall he be furnished that holdeth the plough, and that glorieth in the goad, that driveth the oxen therewith, and is occupied in their labors, and his whole talk is about the offspring of bulls?
27 He will give his heart to turn up furrows, and his watching in the feeding of kine.
27 He shall give his mind to turn up furrows, and his care is to give the kine fodder.
28 So every craftsman and workmaster that passeth the night as the day, that maketh graven seals, and his continual diligence varieth the picture: he will give his heart to the similitude of the picture, and his watching will perfect the work.
28 So every craftsman and work master that laboreth night and day, he who maketh graven seals, and by his continual diligence varieth the figure: he shall give his mind to the resemblance of the picture, and by his watching shall finish the work.
29 So the ironsmith sitting by the anvil and considering the work of iron. The vapour of the fire will parch his flesh, and he striveth in the heat of the furnace:
29 So doth the smith sitting by the anvil and considering the iron work. The vapor of the fire wasteth his flesh, and he fighteth with the heat of the furnace.
30 The noise of the hammer reneweth his ear, and his eye is against the similitude of the vessel.
30 The noise of the hammer is always in his ears, and his eye is upon the pattern of the vessel he maketh.
31 He will give his heart to the finishing of the works, and his watching will polish to perfection.
31 He setteth his mind to finish his work, and his watching to polish them to perfection.
32 So the potter sitting at his work, turning the wheel with his feet, who is always set in carefulness for his work, and all his working is in number:
32 So doth the potter sitting at his work, turning the wheel about with his feet, who is always carefully set to his work, and maketh all his work by number:
33 With his arm he will fashion the clay, and before his feet he will bend his strength:
33 He fashioneth the clay with his arm, and boweth down his strength before his feet:
34 He will give his heart to finish the varnishing thereof, and his watching will make clean the furnace.
34 He shall give his mind to finish the glazing, and his watching to make clean the furnace.
35 All these have hoped in their hands, and every one is wise in his own art.
35 All these trust to their hands, and everyone is wise in his own art.
36 Without these a city is not built.
36 Without these a city is not built.
37 And they shall not inhabit, nor walk therein, and they shall not leap high into the congregation.
37 And they shall not dwell, nor walk about therein, and they shall not go up into the assembly.
38 Upon the judge's seat they shall not sit, and the ordinance of judgement they shall not understand, neither shall they declare discipline and judgement, and in parables they shall not be found:
38 Upon the judges’ seat they shall not sit, and the ordinance of judgment they shall not understand, neither shall they declare discipline and judgment, and they shall not be found where parables are spoken:
39 but they shall confirm the creature of the world, and their prayer shall be in the work of their art, applying their soul, & searching in the law of the Highest.
39 But they shall strengthen the state of the world, and their prayer shall be in the work of their craft, applying their soul, and searching in the law of the most High.