¹ Be not thou enuious against euill men, neither desire to be with them.

² For their heart imagineth destruction, and their lippes speake mischiefe.

³ Through wisdome is an house builded, and with vnderstanding it is established.

⁴ And by knowledge shall the chambers bee filled with all precious, and pleasant riches.

⁵ A wise man is strong: for a man of vnderstanding encreaseth his strength.

⁶ For with counsel thou shalt enterprise thy warre, and in the multitude of them that can giue counsell, is health.

⁷ Wisdome is hie to a foole: therefore he can not open his mouth in the gate.

⁸ Hee that imagineth to doe euill, men shall call him an autour of wickednes.

⁹ The wicked thought of a foole is sinne, and the scorner is an abomination vnto men.

¹⁰ If thou bee faint in the day of aduersitie, thy strength is small.

¹¹ Deliuer them that are drawen to death: wilt thou not preserue them that are led to be slaine?

¹² If thou say, Beholde, we knew not of it: he that pondereth the heartes, doeth not hee vnderstand it? and hee that keepeth thy soule, knoweth he it not? will not he also recompense euery man according to his workes?

¹³ My sonne, eate hony, for it is good, and the hony combe, for it is sweete vnto thy mouth.

¹⁴ So shall the knowledge of wisdome be vnto thy soule, if thou finde it, and there shall be an ende, and thine hope shall not be cut off.

¹⁵ Laye no waite, O wicked man, against the house of the righteous, and spoyle not his resting place.

¹⁶ For a iust man falleth seuen times, and riseth againe: but the wicked fall into mischiefe.

¹⁷ Bee thou not glad when thine enemie falleth, and let not thine heart reioyce when hee stumbleth,

¹⁸ Least the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turne his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Fret not thy selfe because of the malicious, neither be enuious at the wicked.

²⁰ For there shall bee none ende of plagues to the euill man: the light of the wicked shall bee put out.

²¹ My sonne feare the Lord, and the King, and meddle not with them that are sedicious.

²² For their destruction shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruine of them both?

²³ ALSO THESE THINGS PERTEINE TO THE WISE, It is not good to haue respect of any person in iudgement.

²⁴ He that saith to the wicked, Thou art righteous, him shall the people curse, and the multitude shall abhorre him.

²⁵ But to them that rebuke him, shall be pleasure, and vpon them shall come the blessing of goodnesse.

²⁶ They shall kisse the lippes of him that answereth vpright wordes.

²⁷ Prepare thy worke without, and make readie thy thinges in the fielde, and after, builde thine house.

²⁸ Be not a witnes against thy neighbour without cause: for wilt thou deceiue with thy lippes?

²⁹ Say not, I wil doe to him, as he hath done to mee, I will recompence euery man according to his worke.

³⁰ I passed by the fielde of the slouthfull, and by the vineyarde of the man destitute of vnderstanding.

³¹ And lo, it was al growen ouer with thornes, and nettles had couered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken downe.

³² Then I behelde, and I considered it well: I looked vpon it, and receiued instruction.

³³ Yet a litle sleepe, a litle slumber, a litle folding of the handes to sleepe.

³⁴ So thy pouertie commeth as one that traueileth by the way, and thy necessitie like an armed man.