Chapter 10

Wise superiors are very necessary, because the multitude follow their example. ℣.6 Remit and forget injuries, detest pride, injustice, contumely, and avarice. ℣.12 Life is short. ℣.14 Pride is the root of all sins. ℣.23 Just poverty is better than sinful riches. ℣.31 Meekness and modesty are necessary in all men.

1. 1

   A wise judge shall judge his people, and the principality of the wise shall be stable.

2. 2

   According to the judge of the people, so also are his ministers: and what manner of man the ruler of a city is, such also are the inhabitants therein.

3. 3

   An unwise king shall destroy his people: and cities shall be inhabited by the understanding of the prudent.

4. 4

   The power of the earth is in the hand of God, and he will raise up a profitable ruler for a time over it.

5. 5

   The prosperity of man is in the hand of God, & upon the face of the scribe he will put his honour.

6. 6

   Any injury of thy neighbour remember not, and do nothing by works of injury.

7. 7

   Pride is odious before God and men: and all the iniquity of the nations is execrable.

8. 8

   A kingdom is translated from nation unto nation, because of injustices, and injuries, and contumelies, and diverse deceits.

9. 9

   But nothing is more wicked than the covetous man. Why is earth and ashes proud?

10. 10

    Nothing is more wicked than to love money. For he hath his soul also to sell: because in his life he hath cast forth his most inward things:

11. 11

    All power is of short life. Long sickness grieveth the Physician.

12. 12

    Short sickness the Physician cutteth off at the first: so also the king is to day, & to morrow he shall die.

13. 13

    For when a man shall die, he shall inherit serpents, and beasts, and worms.

14. 14

    The beginning of the pride of man, is to apostatate from God:

15. 15

    because his heart is departed from him that made him, for pride is the beginning of all sin: he that holdeth it, shall be filled with curse, & it shall subvert him in the end.

16. 16

    Therefore hath our Lord dishonoured the congregations of the evil, & hath destroyed them even to the end.

17. 17

    God hath destroyed the seats of proud Princes, and hath made the meek sit in their stead.

18. 18

    God hath made the roots of the proud nations to wither, and hath planted the humble of the nations themselves.

19. 19

    Our Lord hath subverted the lands of the gentiles, and hath destroyed them even to the foundation.

20. 20

    He hath made of them to wither, and hath destroyed them, and hath made the memory of them to cease from the earth.

21. 21

    God hath destroyed the memory of the proud, and hath left the memory of them that are humble in understanding.

22. 22

    Pride was not created to men: nor wrath to the nation of women.

23. 23

    That seed of men shall be honoured, which feareth God: but that seed shall be dishonoured, which transgresseth the commandments of our Lord.

24. 24

    In the midst of brethren their ruler shall be in honour: and they that fear our Lord, shall be in his eyes.

25. 25

    The glory of the rich, of the honourable, and of the poor, is the fear of God:

26. 26

    Despise not the just man that is poor, and magnify not the sinful man that is rich.

27. 27

    The great one, and the judge, and the mighty is in honour, and there is none greater than he that feareth God.

28. 28

    Free men will serve a servant that is wise: and a man that is prudent and hath discipline will not murmur being rebuked, and the ignorant shall not be honoured.

29. 29

    Extol not thy self in doing thy work, and linger not in the time of distress:

30. 30

    better is he that worketh, and aboundeth in all things, than he that glorieth, and lacketh bread.

31. 31

    Son in mildness keep thy soul, and give him honour according to his desert.

32. 32

    Him that sinneth against his own soul who shall justify? And who shall honour him that dishonoureth his own soul?

33. 33

    The poor man is glorified by his discipline and fear: & there is a man that is honoured for his substance.

34. 34

    But he that is glorified in poverty, how much more in substance? And he that is glorified in substance, let him fear poverty.