1 O Death how bitter is thy memory to a man that hath peace in his riches:
1 O death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that hath peace in his possessions!
2 to a man that is at rest, and whose ways are prosperous in all things, and that is yet able to take meat!
2 To a man that is at rest, and whose ways are prosperous in all things, and that is yet able to take meat!
3 O death, thy judgement is good to a needy man, and him that is diminished in strength,
3 O death, thy sentence is welcome to the man that is in need, and to him whose strength faileth:
4 and faileth in age, and that is careful of all things, and to the incredulous, that loseth patience!
4 Who is in a decrepit age, and that is in care about all things, and to the distrustful that loseth patience!
5 Fear not the judgement of death. Remember what things have been before thee, and what come after thee: this is the judgement from our Lord to all flesh:
5 Fear not the sentence of death. Remember what things have been before thee, and what shall come after thee: this sentence is from the Lord upon all flesh.
6 and what shall come upon thee by the good pleasure of the Highest? Whether it be ten, or an hundred, or a thousand years.
6 And what shall come upon thee by the good pleasure of the most High? Whether ten, or a hundred, or a thousand years.
7 For in hell there is no accusing of life.
7 For among the dead there is no accusing of life.
8 The children of sinners become children of abominations, and they that converse near the houses of the impious.
8 The children of sinners become children of abominations, and they that converse near the houses of the ungodly.
9 The inheritance of the children of sinners shall perish, and with their seed shall be continuance of reproach.
9 The inheritance of the children of sinners shall perish, and with their posterity shall be a perpetual reproach.
10 The children complain of an impious father, because for him they are in reproach.
10 The children will complain of an ungodly father, because for his sake they are in reproach.
11 Woe to you ye impious men, which have forsaken the law of our Lord the Highest.
11 Woe to you, ungodly men, who have forsaken the law of the most high Lord.
12 And if ye be born, ye shall be born in malediction: and if ye die, in malediction shall be your portion.
12 And if you be born, you shall be born in malediction: and if you die, in malediction shall be your portion.
13 All things that are of the earth, shall return into the earth: so the impious from malediction to perdition.
13 ¹All things that are of the earth, shall return into the earth: so the ungodly shall from malediction to destruction.
14 The mourning of men is in their body, but the name of the impious shall be clean wiped out.
14 The mourning of men is about their body, but the name of the ungodly shall be blotted out.
15 Have care of a good name: for this shall be more permanent to thee than a thousand treasures precious and great.
15 Take care of a good name: for this shall continue with thee, more than a thousand treasures precious and great.
16 There is a number of the days of a good life: but a good name shall continue for ever.
16 A good life hath its number of days: but a good name shall continue forever.
17 Children, keep ye discipline in peace. For wisdom hid, and treasure not seen, what profit is there in them both?
17 My children, keep discipline in peace: ²for wisdom that is hid, and a treasure that is not seen, what profit is there in them both?
18 Better is the man that hideth his folly, than the man that hideth his wisdom.
18 Better is the man that hideth his folly, than the man that hideth his wisdom.
19 But yet have reverence to these things, which proceed from my mouth.
19 Wherefore have a shame of these things I am now going to speak of.
20 For it is not good to observe all shamefastness: & all things do not please all men in opinion.
20 For it is not good to keep all shamefacedness: and all things do not please all men in opinion.
21 Be ashamed before father & before mother, of fornication: and before the president and before the mighty, of lying:
21 Be ashamed of fornication before father and mother: and of a lie before a governor and a man in power:
22 before the Prince, and before the judge, of offence: before the synagogue and the people, of iniquity:
22 Of an offence before a prince, and a judge: of iniquity before a congregation and a people:
23 before companion and friend, of injustice: and before the place where thou dwellest,
23 Of injustice before a companion and friend: and in regard to the place where thou dwellest,
24 of theft, of the truth of God, and his testament: of leaning on the bread, and of reproof for the thing given and taken:
24 Of theft, and of the truth of God, and the covenant: of leaning with thy elbow over meat, and of deceit in giving and taking:
25 before them that salute thee, of silence: of beholding a woman that is an harlot: and of turning away thy countenance from thy kinsman.
25 Of silence before them that salute thee: of looking upon a harlot: and of turning away thy face from thy kinsman.
26 Turn not away thy face from thy neighbour, & of taking away part & not restoring.
26 Turn not away thy face from thy neighbor, and of taking away a portion and not restoring.
27 Behold not another man's wife, and search not his handmaid, neither stand by her bed.
27 ³Gaze not upon another man’s wife, and be not inquisitive after his handmaid, and approach not her bed.
28 Before friends, of opprobrious words: and when thou hast given, upbraid not.
28 Be ashamed of upbraiding speeches before friends: and after thou hast given, upbraid not.