1 Wine is a lecherous thing, and drunkenness is full of noise; whoever delighteth in these, shall not be wise.

2 As the roaring of a lion, so and the dread of a king; he that stirreth him to ire, sinneth against his soul.

3 It is honour to a man that separateth himself from strivings; but fond men be meddled [or fools shall be mingled] with despisings.

4 A slow man would not ear for cold; therefore he shall beg in summer, and men shall not give to him.

5 As deep water, so counsel is in the heart of a man; but a wise man shall draw it out.

6 Many men be called merciful; but who shall find a faithful man?

7 Forsooth a just [or rightwise] man that goeth in his simpleness, shall leave blessed sons after him.

8 A king that sitteth in the seat of doom, destroyeth all evil by his looking.

9 Who may say, Mine heart is clean; I am clean of sin?

10 A weight, greater in buying, and a weight, lesser in selling, a measure and a measure, ever either is abominable at God.

11 A child is understood by his studies, if his works be rightful [or right] and clean.

12 An ear hearing, and an eye seeing, [or The hearing ear, and the seeing eye], God made ever either.

13 Do not thou love sleep, lest needi-ness oppress thee; open thine eyes, and be thou [ful] filled with loaves.

14 Each buyer saith, It is evil, it is evil; and when he hath gone away, then he shall have glory.

15 Gold, and the multitude of gems, and a precious vessel, be the lips of knowing.

16 Take thou away the cloth of him that was a borrow of another man; and for strangers take thou away a wed from him.

17 The bread of a leasing, that is, gotten by a leasing, is sweet to a man; and afterward his mouth shall be filled with reckoning [or with little pebble stones].

18 Thoughts be made strong by counsels; and battles shall be treated by governances.

19 Be thou not meddled [or mingled] with him that showeth privates, and goeth guilefully, and alargeth his lips.

20 The light of him that curseth his father and mother, shall be quenched in the midst of darknesses.

21 Heritage to which men hasteth in the beginning, shall want blessing in the last time.

22 Say thou not, I shall yield evil for evil; abide thou the Lord, and he shall deliver thee.

23 Abomination with God is weight and weight; a guileful balance is not good.

24 The steps of man be dressed of the Lord; who forsooth of men may understand his way?

25 Falling of man is to make avow [or vow] to saints, and afterward to withdraw the vows.

26 A wise king scattereth wicked men; and boweth a bow of victory, that is, a stone bow, over them.

27 The lantern of the Lord is the spirit of man, that seeketh out all the privates of the womb.

28 Mercy and truth keep a king; and his throne is made strong by meekness.

29 The full out joying of young men is the strength of them; and the dignity of eld [or old] men is hoariness.

30 The wanness of wound shall wipe away evils, and wounds in the privier things of the womb.