1 Evils shall not come to him that dreadeth God; but God shall keep or guard him in temptation, and shall deliver [him] from evils.

2 A wise man hateth not the com-mandments, and rightfulnesses [or rightwisenesses]; and he shall not be hurtled down, as in the tempest of a ship.

3 A wise man believeth in the law of God, and the law is faithful to him.

4 He that maketh open asking, shall make ready [or prepare] a word; and so he shall pray, and shall be heard, and he shall keep teaching, and then he shall answer.

5 The entrails of a fool be as a wheel of a cart, and his thoughts as an axle able to turn about.

6 An horse a stallion, so and a friend a scorner, neigheth under each sitting above.

7 Why a day overcometh a day, and again the light overcometh light, and a year overcometh a year, the sun overcometh the sun?

8 Those be parted of the knowing of the Lord, by the sun made, and keeping the commandment of God.

9 And it [or he] shall change times and the feast days of them, and in those times the Jews hallowed holy days, or holidays, at an hour. God enhanced and magnified of those holy days or holidays; and of those [or them] he setted [or put] into the number of days [and years];

10 and God made all men of firm earth [or soil], and of nesh earth, whereof Adam was formed.

11 In the multitude of knowing of the Lord, he parted [or severed] them, and changed the ways of them.

12 Of them God blessed, and enhanced; and of them he hallowed, and chose [or presented] to himself; of them he cursed, and made low, and turned them from the departing [or to the severing] of them.

13 As clay of a potter is in the hand of him, to make [or form] and dis-pose, that all the ways thereof be after the ordinance of him [or his dis-position]; so a man is in the hand of him that made him; and he shall yield to him by [or after] his doom.

14 Against evil is good, and against life is death; so and a sinner is against a just [or rightwise] man.

15 And so behold thou into all the works of the Highest; two things against twain, and one thing against one, [or two against two, one against one].

16 And I the last awaked, and as he that gathereth dregs of grapes, after the gatherers of grapes. And I hoped in the blessing of God; and as he that gathereth grapes, I filled the presser [or wine press].

17 Behold ye, for I travailed not to me alone, but to [or for] all that seek knowing [or discipline].

18 Great men, and all peoples hear ye me; and ye governors of the church, perceive with ears.

19 Give thou not power over thee in thy life to a son, and to a woman [or wife], to a brother, and to a friend; and give thou not thy possession to another man, lest peradventure it repent thee, and thou beseech for those [or them].

20 While thou art alive, [or livest], and breathest yet, each man shall not change thee.

21 For it is better, that thy sons pray thee, than that thou behold into the hands of thy sons.

22 In all thy works be thou sovereign; give thou not a wem into thy glory.

23 In the day of ending of days of thy life, and in the time of thy going out [or thy death], part [or deal out] thine heritage.

24 Meats, and a rod, and a burden to an ass; bread, and chastising [or discipline], and work to a servant.

25 He worketh in or under chas-tising, and seeketh to have rest; slack thou hands to him, and he seeketh freedom.

26 A yoke and bridle bow down an hard neck; and busy workings bow down a servant. Torment and stocks to an evil-willed servant;

27 send thou him into working, lest he be idle; for why idleness hath taught much malice.

28 Ordain thou [or set] him in work, for so it becometh him; that if he obeyeth not, bow thou down him in stocks,

29 and make thou not him large over any man, that is, give thou not to him power over any man, but without doom, do thou nothing grievous [or heavy].

30 If a faithful servant is to thee, be he as thy soul to thee [or If there is to thee a faithful servant, be he to thee as thy life]; treat thou him so as a brother, for thou hast bought him in the blood of life.

31 If thou hurtest him unjustly, he shall be turned into fleeing away [or flight]; and if he enhancing goeth away, thou knowest not whom thou shalt seek, and in what way thou shalt seek him.