Chapter 37

Beware of a friend, & love a sure friend. ℣.7 Consult with the wise, trusty, ℣.15 and virtuous, ℣.19 especially relying upon God. ℣.21 The tongue is cause of much good, or much evil. ℣.30 Be temperate in diet.

1. 1

   Every friend will say: I also have joined friendship: but there is a friend, in name only a friend. Doth there not sorrow remain even to death?

2. 2

   But a companion and friend will be turned to enmity.

3. 3

   O most wicked presumption, whence wast thou created to cover the dry land with malice, and with the deceitfulness thereof?

4. 4

   A companion is pleasant with his friend in delectations, and in the time of tribulation he will be an adversary.

5. 5

   A companion is sorry with his friend for his belly's sake, and he will take a shield against the enemy.

6. 6

   Forget not thy friend in thy mind, and be not unmindful of him in thy riches.

7. 7

   Consult not with him which betrayeth, and hide thy counsel from them that envy thee.

8. 8

   Every counseller uttereth counsel, but there is a counseller in himself.

9. 9

   From such a counseller keep thy soul. First know what his necessity is: for he will devise to his own mind:

10. 10

    lest perhaps he thrust a sharp stake into the ground and say to thee:

11. 11

    Thy way is good; and stand over against thee to see what will befall thee.

12. 12

    With an irreligious man treat not of holiness, & with the unjust of justice, and with a woman of the thing whereof she is jealous: with a fearful man of war, with a merchant of traffic, with a buyer of selling, with an envious man of giving thanks,

13. 13

    with the impious of piety, with the unhonest of honesty, with the field labourer of all work,

14. 14

    with him that worketh by the year of the ending of the year, with a slothful servant of much working: attend not to these in all counsel.

15. 15

    But be continual with a holy man, whomsoever thou shalt know to observe the fear of God,

16. 16

    whose soul is according to thine own soul: and who when thou shalt stumble in the dark, will be sorry for thee.

17. 17

    And establish with thy self an heart of good counsel: for there is none other thing more worth to thee than it.

18. 18

    The soul of a holy man uttereth sometime true things, more than seven watchmen that sit in a high place to watch.

19. 19

    And in all these beseech the Highest, that he direct thy way in truth.

20. 20

    Before all works let a true word go before thee, and stable counsel before every act.

21. 21

    A wicked word shall change the heart: out of which, rise four parts, good, and evil, life, and death: and the tongue is a continual ruler of them. There is a subtile man teacher of many, & to his own soul he is unprofitable.

22. 22

    A cunning man hath taught many, and is sweet to his own soul.

23. 23

    He that speaketh sophistically, is odious: in every thing he shall be defrauded.

24. 24

    Grace is not given him of our Lord: for he is defrauded of all wisdom.

25. 25

    There is a wise man, wise to his own soul: and the fruit of his understanding is laudable.

26. 26

    A wise man teacheth his people, and the fruits of his understanding are faithful.

27. 27

    A wise man shall be filled with blessings, and they that see will praise him.

28. 28

    The life of a man is in the number of days: but the days of Israel are innumerable.

29. 29

    A wise man in the people shall inherit honour, and his name shall live for ever.

30. 30

    Son in thy life prove thy soul: & if it be wicked, give it not power:

31. 31

    for all things are not expedient for all, and every kind pleaseth not every soul.

32. 32

    Be not greedy in all feasting, and pour not out thy self upon all meat:

33. 33

    for in many meats there shall be infirmity, and greediness shall approach even to choler.

34. 34

    Because of surfeit many have died: but he that is abstinent, shall add life.