12
1 When thou wilt do good, know to whom thou doest it;
So shalt thou be thanked for thy benefits.
2 Do good to the godly man, and thou shalt find a recompence;
And if not from him, yet from the most High.
3 There can no good come to him that is always occupied in evil,
Nor to him that giveth no alms.
4 Give to the godly man,
And help not a sinner.
5 Do well unto him that is lowly, but give not to the ungodly:
Hold back thy bread, and give it not unto him, lest he overmaster thee thereby:
For else thou shalt receive twice as much evil
For all the good thou shalt have done unto him.
6 For the most High hateth sinners,
And will repay vengeance unto the ungodly,
And keepeth them against the mighty day of their punishment.
7 Give unto the good,
And help not the sinner.
8 A friend cannot be known in prosperity:
And an enemy cannot be hidden in adversity.
9 In the prosperity of a man enemies will be grieved:
But in his adversity even a friend will depart.
10 Never trust thine enemy:
For like as iron rusteth, so is his wickedness.
11 Though he humble himself, and go crouching,
Yet take good heed and beware of him,
And thou shalt be unto him as if thou hadst wiped a lookingglass,
And thou shalt know that his rust hath not been altogether wiped away.
12 Set him not by thee,
Lest, when he hath overthrown thee, he stand up in thy place;
Neither let him sit at thy right hand,
Lest he seek to take thy seat,
And thou at the last remember my words,
And be pricked therewith.
13 Who will pity a charmer that is bitten with a serpent,
Or any such as come nigh wild beasts?
14 So one that goeth to a sinner,
And is defiled with him in his sins, who will pity?
15 For a while he will abide with thee,
But if thou begin to fall, he will not tarry.
16 An enemy speaketh sweetly with his lips,
But in his heart he imagineth how to throw thee into a pit:
He will weep with his eyes,
But if he find opportunity, he will not be satisfied with blood.
17 If adversity come upon thee, thou shalt find him there first;
And though he pretend to help thee, yet shall he undermine thee.
18 He will shake his head, and clap his hands,
And whisper much, and change his countenance.