1   To him that feareth our Lord euils shal not happen, but in tentation God wil keepe him, and deliuer him from euils.

2   A wise man hateth not the commandments and iustices, and he shal not be shaken as a shippe in a storme.

3   A man of vnderstanding beleueth the law of God, and the law is sure to him.

4   He that repeteth an interrogation, shal better prepare his answer, and so shal be heard, and shal keepe discipline.

5    ^noteThe hart of a foole is as a wheele of a carte: & his cogitation as a turning axeltree.

6   A stalion horse neyeth vnder euerie one that sitteth vpon him, so a freind that is a scorner.

7   Why doth one day excel an other, and one light an other, and one yeare an other yeare of the sunne?

8   By the knowlege of our Lord they were seperated, the sunne being made, and keeping the precept.

9   And he changed times, and the festiual daies thereof, and in the same they celebrated the festiual daies at an houre.

10   Of them God exalted and magnified, and of them he put into the number of daies. And al men are of the ground, and of the earth, from whence Adam was created.

11   In the multitude of the discipline of our Lord he separated them, and changed their waies.

12   Of them he blessed, and exalted: and of them he sanctified, and applied to himself: and of them he cursed and humbled, and conuerted them from their separation.

13   As potters clay is in his hand, to fashion and dispose it.

14   Al his wayes according to his disposition: so man in the hand of him, and he wil render to him according to his iudgement.

15   Against euil is good, and against death life: so also against a iust man a sinner. And so looke vpon al the workes of the Highest. Two against two, and one against one.

16   And I awaked last, and as he that gathereth bearies after the grape gatherers.

17   In the blessing of God I also haue hoped: and as he that gathereth grapes, haue I filled the wine presse.

18   See that I haue not laboured for myself only, but for al that seeke out discipline.

19   Heare me ye great men, and al peoples, and ye rulers of the Church karken with your eares.

20   To sonne and wife, brother and freind, geue not power ouer thee in thy life: and geue not thy possession to an other: lest perhaps thou repent thee, and thou entreate for them.

21   Whiles thou art yet aliue and takest breath, al flesh shal not change thee.

22   For it is better that thy children aske of thee, then that thou looke toward the hands of thy children.

23   In al thy workes

be exquisite.

24   Geue no staine to thy glorie. In the day of the consummation of the dayes of thy life, and in the time of thy decease distribute thine inheritance.

25   Fodder, and wande, and burden for an asse: bread, and discipline, and worke for a seruant.

26   He worketh in discipline, and seeketh to rest: release him his handes, and he seeketh libertie.

27   The yoke and the reyne bend a stiff necke, and continual workes do bowe a seruant.

28   For a malicious seruant torment & fetters, send him into worke, that he be not idle.

29   For idlenes hath taught much naughtines.

30   Set him to worke: for so it becometh him. And if he be not obedient, bow him with fetters, and exceede not ouer al flesh: but without iudgement doe no greuous thing.

31   If thou haue a faithful seruant, let him be vnto thee as thy soule: as a brother so entreate him: because in the bloud of thy soule thou hast gotten him.

32   If thou hurt him vniustly, he wil runne away:

33   if rising vp he depart: thou knowest not whom to aske, and what way to seeke him.

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