1   Everie freind wil say: I also haue ioyned freindshipe: ^notebut there is a freind, in name only a freind. Doth there not sorow remaine euen to death?

2   But a companion and freind wil be turned to enmitie.

3   O most wicked presumption, whence wast thou created to couer the drie land with malice, and with the deceitfulnes thereof?

4   A companion is pleasant with his freind in delectations, and in the time of tribulation he wil be an aduersarie.

5   A companion is sorie with his freind for his bellies sake, and he wil take a shield against the enemie.

6   Forgete not thy freind in thy minde, and be not vnmindeful of him in thy riches.

7   Consult not with him which betraieth, and hide thy counsel from them that enuie thee.

8   Euerie counseler vttereth counsel, but there is a counseler in him selfe.

9   From such a counseler keepe thy soule. First know what his necessitie is: for he wil deuise to his owne minde:

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

11   Thy way is good; and stand ouer against thee to see what wil befal thee.

12   With an irreligious man treate not of holines, and with the vniust of iustice, and with a woman of the thing whereof she is ielous: with a feareful man of warre, with a marchant of traficke, with a byer of selling, with an enuious man of geuing thankes,

13   with the impious of pietie, with the vnhonest of honestie, with the field labourer of al worke,

14   with him that worketh by the yeare of the ending of the yeare, with a slothful seruant of much working: attend not to these in al counsel.

15   But be

continual with a holie man, whomsoeuer thou shalt know to obserue the feare of God,

16   whose soule is according to thine owne soule: and who when thou shalt stumble in the darke, wil be sorie for thee.

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

18   The soule of a holie man vttereth sometime true thinges, more then seuen watchmen that sitte in a high place to watch.

19   And in al these ^note beseech the Highest, that he direct thy way in truth.

20   Before al workes let a true word goe before thee, and stable counsel before euerie act.

21   A wicked word shal change the hart: out of which rise foure partes, good, and euil, life, and death: and the tongue is a continual ruler of them. There is a subtile man teacher of manie, and to his owne soule he is vnprofitable.

22   A cunning man hath taught manie, and is swete to his owne soule.

23   He that speaketh sophistically, is odious: in euerie thing he shal be defrauded.

24   Grace is not geuen him of our Lord: for he is defrauded of al wisdom.

25   There is a wise man, wise to his owne soule: and the fruite of his vnderstanding is laudable.

26   A wise man teacheth his people, and the fruites of his vnderstanding are faithful.

27   A wise man shal be filled with blessinges, and they that see wil praise him.

28   The life of a man is in the number of dayes: but the dayes ^note of Israel are innumerable.

29   A wise man in the people shal inherite honour, and his name shal liue for euer.

30   Sonne in thy life ^note proue thy soule: & if it be wicked, geue it not power:

31   for al thinges are not expedient for al, and euerie kinde pleaseth not euerie soule.

32   Be not greedie in al feasting, and power not out thy self vpon al meate:

33   for in manie meates there shal be infirmitie, and greedines shal approch euen to choler.

34   Because of surfet manie haue died: but he that is abstinent, shal adde life.

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