1   Throvgh pouertie manie haue offended: and he that seeketh to be made rich, turneth away his eie.

2   As a stake is fastened in the middes of stones compact together, so also in the middes of selling and buying, sinne shal be straytened.

3   Sinne shal be destroyed with the sinner.

4   If thou hold not thyself instantly in the feare of our Lord, ^note thy house shal quickly be subuerted.

5   As in the shaking of a sieue the dust wil remaine: so ^note the perplexitie of a man in his cogitation.

6   The fornace tryeth the potters vessels, and the tentation of tribulation iust men.

7   As the husbandrie about a tree sheweth the fruite thereof, so a word out of the thought of the hart of man.

8   Prayse not a man before ful discourse, for this is the trial of men.

9   If thou folow iustice, thou shalt apprehend it: and shalt put it on as a long robe of honour, and thou shalt dwel with it: and it shal protect thee for euer, and in the day of knowleging thou shalt finde stedfastnes.

10   The foules flocke together to their like: and truth shal returne to them, that worke it.

11   The lion alwayes lyeth in wayte for a pray: so sinnes for them that worke iniquities.

12   A holie man continueth in wisdom ^note as the sunne: for a foole is changed as ^note the moone.

13   In the middes of the vnwise keepe the word til his time: but in the middes of deepe considerers be continually.

14   The narration of sinners is odious, & their laugther is in the deligthes of sinne.

15   Speach that sweareth much

shal make the heare of the head to stand vpright: and his lacke of reuerence is the stopping of the eares.

16   Sheding of bloud is in the brawling of the proud: and their cursing is a greeuous hearing.

17   He that discloseth the secrete of a freind, loseth credite, and he shal not finde a freind to his minde.

18   Loue thy neighhour, and be ioyned with him in fidelitie.

19   But if thou discouer his secrets, thou shalt not pursew after him.

20   For as a man that loseth his freind, so also he that loseth the freindshipe of his neigbbour.

21   And as he that letteth a bird goe out of his hand, so hast thou leaft thy neighbour, & shalt not take him.

22   Folow him not, because he is far absent, for he is fled, as a doe out of the snare: because his soule is wounded.

23   Thou canst no more blinde him, and of a curse there is reconciliation:

24   but to disclose the secrets of a freind, is the desperation of an vnhappie soule.

25   He that winketh with the eie, forgeth wicked thinges, and no man wil cast him of:

26   in the sight of thyne eyes he wil sweete his mouth, and wil be in admiration vpon thy wordes: but at the last he wil peruert his mouth, and in thy wordes he wil lay a scandal.

27   I haue heard manie thinges, & haue not esteemed them equal to him, and our Lord wil hate him.

28   He that ^notecasteth a stone on high, it wil fal vpon his head: and ^note the deceitful stroke wil diuide the woundes of the deceitful.

29   He that diggeth a pit, shal fal into it: and he that setteth a stone for his neighbour, shal stumble on it: & he that layeth a snare for an other, shal perish in it.

30   To a man that doth most wicked counsel, it shal be turned vpon himself, and he shal not know from whence it cometh to him.

31   Derision & reproch of the proud, and vengeance as a lyon shal lie in waite for him.

32   They shal perish in a snare that are delighted with the fal of the iust: and sorow shal consume them before they die.

33   Anger and furie, both are execrable, and the sinful man shal be subiect to them.

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