1 Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, lest she shew upon thee the malice of wicked doctrine.
1 Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, lest she show in thy regard the malice of a wicked lesson.
2 Give not to a woman the power of thy soul, lest she go in thy strength, and thou be confounded.
2 Give not the power of thy soul to a woman, lest she enter upon thy strength, and thou be confounded.
3 Look not upon a woman that is desirous of many: lest perhaps thou fall into her snares.
3 Look not upon a woman that hath a mind for many: lest thou fall into her snares.
4 With her that is a dancer be not daily conversant, nor hear her, lest perhaps thou perish in her efficacy.
4 Use not much the company of her that is a dancer, and hearken not to her, lest thou perish by the force of her charms.
5 Behold not a virgin, lest perhaps thou be scandalized in her beauty.
5 ¹Gaze not upon a maiden, lest her beauty be a stumbling block to thee.
6 Give not thy soul to harlots in any point: lest thou destroy thyself, and thine inheritance.
6 ²Give not thy soul to harlots in any point: lest thou destroy thyself and thy inheritance.
7 Look not round about in the ways of the city, nor wander up and down in the streets thereof.
7 Look not round about thee in the ways of the city, nor wander up and down in the streets thereof.
8 Turn away thy face from a trimmed woman, and gaze not about upon another's beauty.
8 ³Turn away thy face from a woman dressed up, and gaze not about upon another’s beauty.
9 By the beauty of a woman many have perished: and hereby concupiscence is inflamed as a fire.
9 For many have perished by the beauty of a woman, and hereby lust is enkindled as a fire.
10 Every woman, that is an harlot, shall be trodden upon as dung in the way.
10 Every woman that is a harlot, shall be trodden upon as dung in the way.
11 Many having admired the beauty of another man's wife, have become reprobate, for her communication burneth as fire.
11 Many by admiring the beauty of another man’s wife, have become reprobate, for her conversation burneth as fire.
12 Sit not at all with another man's wife, nor repose upon the bed with her:
12 Sit not at all with another man’s wife, nor repose upon the bed with her:
13 and strive not with her at the wine, lest perhaps thy heart decline toward her, & with thy blood thou fall into perdition.
13 And strive not with her over wine, lest thy heart decline towards her and by thy blood thou fall into destruction.
14 Forsake not an old friend: for the new will not be like to him.
14 Forsake not an old friend, for the new will not be like to him.
15 Anew friend, is as new wine: it shall wax old, and thou shalt drink it with sweetness.
15 A new friend is as new wine: it shall grow old, and thou shalt drink it with pleasure.
16 Do not zealously desire the glory and the riches of a sinner: for thou knowest not what his subversion shall be.
16 ⁴Envy not the glory and riches of a sinner: for thou knowest not what his ruin shall be.
17 Let not the injury of the unjust please thee, knowing that even to hell the impious shall not please.
17 Be not pleased with the wrong done by the unjust, knowing that even to hell the wicked shall not please.
18 Be far from the man that hath power to kill, and thou shalt not suspect the fear of death.
18 Keep thee far from the man that hath power to kill, so thou shalt not suspect the fear of death.
19 And if thou come to him, commit nothing, lest perhaps he take away thy life.
19 And if thou come to him, commit no fault, lest he take away thy life.
20 Know it to be communication with death; because thou shalt go in the midst of snares, and shalt walk upon the weapons of the sorrowful.
20 Know it to be a communication with death: for thou art going in the midst of snares, and walking upon the arms of them that are grieved.
21 According to thy power beware thee of thy neighbour, and treat with the wise and prudent.
21 According to thy power beware of thy neighbor, and treat with the wise and prudent.
22 Let just men be thy guests, and let thy gloriation be in the fear of God,
22 Let just men be thy guests, and let thy glory be in the fear of God.
23 and let the cogitation of God be in thy understanding, & all thine enarration in the precepts of the Highest.
23 And let the thought of God be in thy mind, and all thy discourse on the commandments of the Highest.
24 Works shall be praised in the hands of artificers, and the Prince of the people in the wisdom of his speech, but the word of the ancients in the sense.
24 Works shall be praised for the hand of the artificers, and the prince of the people for the wisdom of his speech, but the word of the ancients for the sense.
25 Aman full of tongue is terrible in his city, and he that is rash in his word shall be odious.
25 A man full of tongue is terrible in his city, and he that is rash in his word shall be hateful.