1 Do not be envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them.2 For their heart devises violence, and their lips talk of mischief.3 Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established;4 and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.5 A wise man is strong; yes, a man of knowledge increases strength.6 For by wise counsel you shall wage war; and in a multitude of counselors is safety.7 Wisdom is too lofty for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the gate.8 He who plots to do evil shall be called a master of evil plots.9 The wicked devices of foolishness is sin; and the scorner is an abomination to men.10 If you faint in the day of distress, your strength is small.11 If you refrain from delivering those being led away to death, those about to die;12 if you say, Behold, we did not know it; does not He who ponders the heart consider it? And the Keeper of your soul, does He not know it? And shall He not repay to a man according to his deeds?13 My son, eat honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste.14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; when you have found it, then there shall be a reward, and your expectation shall not be cut off.15 O wicked one, do not lie in wait at the dwelling of the righteous; do not assault his resting place;16 for a just man may fall seven times, and rise up again; but the wicked shall stumble into evil.17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;18 lest Jehovah see it, and it displease Him, and He turns away His wrath from him.19 Do not fret yourself because of evildoers, nor be envious of the wicked;20 for there shall not be a posterity to the evil; the lamp of the wicked shall be extinguished.21 My son, fear Jehovah and the king; and do not fellowship with those who are given to change;22 for their disaster shall rise suddenly, and who knows the ruin of them both?23 These things also are to the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.24 He who says to the wicked, You are righteous; the people will curse him and nations will abhor him.25 But to those who rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.26 He shall kiss the lips that return right words.27 Prepare your work outside, and make ready for yourself in the field; and afterwards build your house.28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, nor deceive with your lips.29 Do not say, I will do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his deeds.30 I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man lacking heart;31 and, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face of it, and its stone wall was broken down.32 Then I saw; I set my heart on it; I observed and received instruction.33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest;34 so shall your poverty come like a prowler, and your want like an armed man.

1 Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.2 For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.3 An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.4 Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair.5 A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti.6 For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.7 Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth.8 He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.9 The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.10 If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.11 Delyuere thou hem, that ben led to deth; and ceesse thou not to delyuere hem, that ben drawun to deth.12 If thou seist, Strengthis suffisen not; he that is biholdere of the herte, vndirstondith, and no thing disseyueth the kepere of thi soule, and he schal yelde to a man bi hise werkis.13 Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte.14 `So and the techyng of wisdom is good to thi soule; and whanne thou hast founde it, thou schalt haue hope in the laste thingis, and thin hope schal not perische.15 Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste.16 For a iust man schal falle seuene sithis in the dai, and schal rise ayen; but wickid men schulen falle in to yuele.17 Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;18 lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym.19 Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men.20 For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid.21 My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris.22 For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either?23 Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom.24 Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.25 Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem.26 He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.27 Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward.28 Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis.29 Seie thou not, As he dide to me, so Y schal do to him, and Y schal yelde to ech man aftir his werk.30 I passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo!31 nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried.32 And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng.33 Hou longe slepist thou, slow man? whanne schalt thou ryse fro sleep? Sotheli thou schalt slepe a litil, thou schalt nappe a litil, thou schalt ioyne togidere the hondis a litil, to take reste;34 and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.