1   Do no euill: so shal no harme come vnto thee.

2   Depart from the thing that is wicked, & sinne shal turne away from thee.

3   My sonne, sowe not vpon the sorowes of vnrighteousnes, lest that thou reape them seuen fold.

4   Aske not of the Lord preeminence, neyther of the king the seate of honour.

5    ^noteIustifie not thy selfe before the Lord: [for he knoweth thine heart,] and boast not thy wisedome in the presence of the king.

6   Seeke not to be made a Iudge, least thou be not able to take away iniquitie, and least thou, fearing the person of the mightie, shouldest committe an offence against thine vprightnes.

7   Offende not against the multitude of a citie, and cast not thy selfe among the people.

8    ^noteBinde not two sinnes together: for in one sinne shalt thou not be vnpunished.

9   Say not, God will looke vpon the multitude of mine oblations, & when I offer to the most high God, he wil accept it.

10   Be not faint hearted, when thou makest thy prayer, neither slacke in giuing of almes.

11   Laugh no man to scorne in the heauines of his soule: for [God which seeth all things] is hee ^note that can bring downe, and set vp againe.

12   Sowe not a lye against thy brother, neyther do the same against thy friend.

13   Vse not to make any maner of lye: for the custome thereof is not good.

14   Make not many words when thou art am&obar;g the Elders, neither ^note repeate a thing in thy prayer.

15   Hate not laborious ^note worke, neither the husbandrie, which the most high hath created.

16   Number not thy selfe in the multitude of the wicked, but rem&ebar;ber that vengeance wil not slacke.

17   Humble thy minde greatly: for the v&ebar;geance of the wicked is fire and wormes.

18   Giue not ouer thy friend for any good, nor thy true brother for the golde of Ophir.

19   Depart not from a wise and good woman, [that is fallen vnto thee for thy portion in the feare of the Lord:] for her grace is aboue golde.

20   ¶2; ^note Whereas thy seruant worketh truely, intreate him not euil, nor the hireling that bestoweth himselfe wholly for thee.

21   Let thy soule loue a good seruant, and defraude him not of libertie, [neyther leaue him a poore man.]

22    ^noteIf thou haue cattel, looke wel to them, and if they be for thy profite, keepe them with thee.

23    ^noteIf thou haue sonnes, instruct them, & holde their necke from their youth.

24   If thou haue daughters, keepe their body, & shew not thy face cheerefull toward them.

25   Marrie thy daughter, and so shalt thou performe a weightie matter: but giue her to a man of vnderstanding.

26   If thou haue a wife after thy minde, forsake her not, but commit not thy selfe to the hatefull.

27    ^noteHonour thy father from thy whole heart, and forget not the sorowes of thy mother.

28   Remember that thou wast borne of them, &

how canst thou recompence them the things that they haue done for thee?

29   Feare the Lorde with all thy soule, and honour his ministers.

30   Loue him þt; made thee, with al thy strength, ^note and forsake not his seruants.

31   Feare the Lord with all thy soule, & honour the Priestes, ^note and giue them their portion, as it is commanded thee, the first fruites, [& purifications] & sacrifices for sinne, & the offrings of the shoulders, and the sacrifices of sanctification, and the first fruites of the holy things.

32   Stretch thine hande vnto the poore, that thy ^note blessing, [& reconciliation] may be accomplished.

33   Liberalitie pleaseth all men liuing, & ^note from the dead restraine it not.

34    ^noteLet not them that weepe, be without [comfort:] but mourne with such as mourne.

35    ^noteBe not slow to visite the sicke: for that shal make thee to be beloued.

36   Whatsoeuer thou takest in hand, remember the ende, and thou shalt neuer do amisse.

Previous section

Next section