1   Doe ^note not euils, and they shal nor apprehend thee.

2   Depart from the wicked, & euil shal fayle from thee.

3   Sonne, sow not euils in the surrowes of iustice, & thou shalt not reape them seuenfold.

4   Seeke not of the lord chiefe principalitie, nor of the king the chayre of honour.

5   Iustifie not thyself before God, because he is the knower of the hart: and before the king desire not to seme wise.

6    ^noteSeeke not to be made a iudge, vnles thou be able by power to breake iniquities: lest perhaps thou feare the face of the mightie, and put a scandal in thyne equitie.

7   Sinne not against the multitude of a citie, neither thrust thyself into the people,

8   nor binde together duble sinnes: for neither in one shalt thou be free from punishment.

9   Be not fayntharted in thy minde:

10   despise not to pray, and to geue almes.

11   Say not: In the multitude of my giftes God wil haue respect, and when I offer to God most high, he wil receiue my giftes.

12   Laugh not a man to scorne in the bitternes of his soule: for there is that humbleth and exalteth, God the ouerseer of al.

13   Plowe not a lie agaynst thy brother: neither doe thou likewise agaynst thy frend.

14   Be not willing to make any lie: for the custome therof is not good.

15   Be not ful of wordes in a multitude of ancients, and iterate not a word in thy speach.

16   Hate not laborious workes, and husbandrie created of the Highest.

17   Counte not thy selfe in the multitude of men without discipline.

18   Be mindeful of wrath, because it wil not slacke.

19   Humble thy spirit very much: because the vengeance of the flesh of the impious, is ^note fyre and the worme.

20   Doe not preuaricate against thy frend differring money, nor despise thy dearest brother for gold.

21   Depart not from a wise and good woman, which thou hast gotten in the feare of our

Lord: for the grace of her bashfulnes is aboue gold.

22   Hurt not the seruant that worketh in truth, nor the hyred man that geueth his soule.

23   Let a wise seruant be beloued of thee as thy soule, defraude him not of libertie, nor leaue him needie.

24   Hast thou cattel? looke wel to them: and if they be profitable, let them continew with thee.

25   Hast thou children? instruct them, & bowe them from their childehood.

26   Hast thou daughters? keepe their bodie, and shew not thy countenance merrie towards them.

27   Bestow thy daughter, and thou shalt doe a great worke, and geue her to a wise man.

28   If thou haue a wife according to thy soule, cast her not of: and to her that is hateful commit not thyself. With thy whole hart

29   honour thy father, and forget not the gronings of thy mother:

30   remember that thou hadst not bene borne but by them: and recompence them, as they also thee.

31   In al thy soule feare our Lord, and sanctifie his priestes.

32   With al thy strength loue him that made thee: & forsake not his ministers.

33   Honour God with al thy soule, and honour the priestes, and purge thyself with the armes.

34   Geue them the portion, as it is commanded thee, of the first fruites and purgation: and of thy negligence purge thy self with few.

35   The gift of thyne armes and the sacrifice of sanctification thou shalt offer to our Lord, and the first of holie thinges:

36   and to the poore stretch out thyne hand, that thy propitiation may be perfected, and thy blessing.

37   The grace of a gift is in the sight of al the liuing, ^note and from the dead stay not grace.

38   Want not in consolation to them that weepe, and walke with them that moorne.

39   Be not loth to visite the sicke: for by these thinges thou shalt be confirmed in loue.

40   In al thy workes ^note remember thy later ends, and thou wilt not sinne for euer.

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