1 Do not evils, and they shall not apprehend thee.
1 Do no evils, and no evils shall lay hold of thee.
2 Depart from the wicked, & evil shall fail from thee.
2 Depart from the unjust, and evils shall depart from thee.
3 Son, sow not evils in the furrows of justice, & thou shalt not reap them sevenfold.
3 My son, sow not evils in the furrows of injustice, and thou shalt not reap them sevenfold.
4 Seek not of the Lord chief principality, nor of the king the chair of honour.
4 Seek not of the Lord a preeminence, nor of the king the seat of honor.
5 Justify not thy-self before God, because he is the knower of the heart: and before the king desire not to seem wise.
5 ¹Justify not thyself before God, for he knoweth the heart: and desire not to appear wise before the king.
6 Seek not to be made a judge, unless thou be able by power to break iniquities: lest perhaps thou fear the face of the mighty, and put a scandal in thine equity.
6 Seek not to be made a judge, unless thou have strength enough to extirpate iniquities: lest thou fear the person of the powerful, and lay a stumbling block for thy integrity.
7 Sin not against the multitude of a city, neither thrust thy-self into the people,
7 Offend not against the multitude of a city, neither cast thyself in upon the people,
8 nor bind together double sins: for neither in one shalt thou be free from punishment.
8 ²Nor bind sin to sin: for even in one thou shalt not be unpunished.
9 Be not faint-hearted in thy mind:
9 Be not fainthearted in thy mind:
10 despise not to pray, and to give alms.
10 Neglect not to pray, and to give alms.
11 Say not: In the multitude of my gifts God will have respect, and when I offer to God most high, he will receive my gifts.
11 Say not: God will have respect to the multitude of my gifts, and when I offer to the most high God, he will accept my offerings.
12 Laugh not a man to scorn in the bitterness of his soul: for there is that humbleth and exalteth, God the overseer of all.
12 Laugh no man to scorn in the bitterness of his soul: ³for there is one that humbleth and exalteth, God who seeth all.
13 Plow not a lie against thy brother: neither do thou likewise against thy friend.
13 Devise not a lie against thy brother: neither do the like against thy friend.
14 Be not willing to make any lie: for the custom thereof is not good.
14 Be not willing to make any manner of lie: for the custom thereof is not good.
15 Be not full of words in a multitude of ancients, and iterate not a word in thy speech.
15 Be not full of words in a multitude of ancients, and repeat not the word in thy prayer.
16 Hate not laborious works, and husbandry created of the Highest.
16 Hate not laborious works, nor husbandry ordained by the most High.
17 Count not thyself in the multitude of men without discipline.
17 Number not thyself among the multitude of the disorderly.
18 Be mindful of wrath, because it will not slack.
18 Remember wrath, for it will not tarry long.
19 Humble thy spirit very much: because the vengeance of the flesh of the impious, is fire and the worm.
19 Humble thy spirit very much: for the vengeance on the flesh of the ungodly is fire and worms.
20 Do not prevaricate against thy friend deferring money, nor despise thy dearest brother for gold.
20 Do not transgress against thy friend deferring money, nor despise thy dear brother for the sake of gold.
21 Depart not from a wise and good woman, which thou hast gotten in the fear of our Lord: for the grace of her bashfulness is above gold.
21 Depart not from a wise and good wife, whom thou hast gotten in the fear of the Lord: for the grace of her modesty is above gold.
22 Hurt not the servant that worketh in truth, nor the hired man that giveth his soul.
22 ⁴Hurt not the servant that worketh faithfully, nor the hired man that giveth thee his life.
23 Let a wise servant be beloved of thee as thy soul, defraud him not of liberty, nor leave him needy.
23 Let a wise servant be dear to thee as thy own soul, defraud him not of liberty, nor leave him needy.
24 Hast thou cattle? Look well to them: and if they be profitable, let them continue with thee.
24 Hast thou cattle? Have an eye to them: and if they be for thy profit, keep them with thee.
25 Hast thou children? Instruct them, & bow them from their childhood.
25 Hast thou children? Instruct them, and bow down their neck from their childhood.
26 Hast thou daughters? Keep their body, and shew not thy countenance merry towards them.
26 Hast thou daughters? Have a care of their body, and show not thy countenance gay towards them.
27 Bestow thy daughter, and thou shalt do a great work, and give her to a wise man.
27 Marry thy daughter well, and thou shalt do a great work, and give her to a wise man.
28 If thou have a wife according to thy soul, cast her not off: and to her that is hateful commit not thyself. With thy whole heart
28 If thou hast a wife according to thy soul, cast her not off: and to her that is hateful, trust not thyself. With thy whole heart,
29 honour thy father, and forget not the groanings of thy mother:
29 ⁵Honor thy father, and forget not the groanings of thy mother:
30 remember that thou hadst not been born but by them: and recompense them, as they also thee.
30 Remember that thou hadst not been born but through them: and make a return to them as they have done for thee.
31 In all thy soul fear our Lord, and sanctify his Priests.
31 With all thy soul fear the Lord, and reverence his priests.
32 With all thy strength love him that made thee: & forsake not his ministers.
32 With all thy strength love him that made thee: and forsake not his ministers.
33 Honour God with all thy soul, and honour the Priests, and purge thyself with the arms.
33 ⁶Honor God with all thy soul and give honor to the priests, and purify thyself with thy arms.
34 Give them the portion, as it is commanded thee, of the first fruits and purgation: and of thy negligence purge thyself with few.
34 Give them their portion, ⁷as it is commanded thee, of the firstfruits and of purifications: and for thy negligences purify thyself with a few.
35 The gift of thine arms and the sacrifice of sanctification thou shalt offer to our Lord, and the first of holy things:
35 Offer to the Lord the gift of thy shoulders, and the sacrifice of sanctification, and the firstfruits of the holy things:
36 and to the poor stretch out thine hand, that thy propitiation may be perfected, and thy blessing.
36 And stretch out thy hand to the poor, that thy expiation and thy blessing may be perfected.
37 The grace of a gift is in the sight of all the living, and from the dead stay not grace.
37 A gift hath grace in the sight of all the living, and restrain not grace from the dead.
38 Want not in consolation to them that weep, and walk with them that mourn.
38 ⁸Be not wanting in comforting them that weep, and walk with them that mourn.
39 Be not loath to visit the sick: for by these things thou shalt be confirmed in love.
39 ⁹Be not slow to visit the sick: for by these things thou shalt be confirmed in love.
40 In all thy works remember thy later ends, and thou wilt not sin for ever.
40 In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin.