1 Be not iealous ouer the wife of thy bosome, and teach her not an euil lesson against thy selfe.
2 Giue not thy soule vnto a woman, to set her foot vpon thy substance.
3 Meete not with an harlot, least thou fall into her snares.
4 Use not much the companie of a woman that is a singer, least thou be taken with her attempts.
5 Gaze not on a maide, that thou fall not by those things, that are pretious in her.
6 Giue not thy soule vnto harlots, that thou loose not thine inheritance.
7 Looke not round about thee, in the streets of the citie, neither wander thou in the solitary places thereof.
8 Turne away thine eye from a beautifull woman, and looke not vpon anothers beautie: for many haue beene deceiued by the beautie of a woman, for heerewith loue is kindled as a fire.
9 Sit not at all with another mans wife, nor sit downe with her in thine armes, and spend not thy money with her at the wine, least thine heart incline vnto her, and so thorough thy desire thou fall into destruction.
10 Forsake not an old friend, for the new is not comparable to him: a new friend is as new wine: when it is old, thou shalt drinke it with pleasure.
11 Enuy not the glory of a sinner: for thou knowest not what shall be his end.
12 Delight not in the thing that the vngodly haue pleasure in, but remember they shall not goe vnpunished vnto their graue.
13 Keepe thee farre from the man that hath power to kill, so shalt thou not doubt the feare of death: and if thou come vnto him, make no fault, least he take away thy life presently: remember that thou goest in the midst of snares, and that thou walkest vpon the battlements of the citie.
14 As neere as thou canst, ghesse at thy neighbour, and consult with the wise.
15 Let thy talke be with the wise, and all thy communication in the law of the most high.
16 And let iust men eate and drinke with thee, and let thy glorying be in the feare of the Lord.
17 For the hand of the artificer, the worke shall be commended: and the wise ruler of the people, for his speech.
18 A man of an ill tongue is dangerous in his citie, and he that is rash in his talke shall be hated.
Chap 10
1 A wise iudge will instruct his people, & the gouernement of a prudent man is well ordered.
2 As the iudge of the people is himselfe, so are his officers, and what maner of man the ruler of the citie is, such are all they that dwell therein.
3 An vnwise king destroyeth his people, but through the prudence of them which are in authoritie, the citie shalbe inhabited.
4 The power of the earth is in the hand of the Lord, and in due time hee will set ouer it one that is profitable.
5 In the hand of God is the prosperitie of man: and vpon the person of the scribe shall he lay his honour.
6 Beare not hatred to thy neighbour for euery wrong, and do nothing at all by iniurious practises.
7 Pride is hatefull before God, and man: and by both doeth one commit iniquitie.
8 Because of vnrighteous dealings, iniuries, and riches got by deceit, the kingdome is translated from one people to another.
9 Why is earth and ashes proude? There is not a more wicked thing, then a couetous man: for such an one setteth his owne soule to sale, because while he liueth, he casteth away his bowels.
10 The Phisition cutteth off a long disease, and he that is to day a King, to morrow shall die.
11 For when a man is dead, hee shall inherite creeping things, beastes and wormes.
12 The beginning of pride is, when one departeth from God, and his heart is turned away from his maker.
13 For pride is the beginning of sinne, and hee that hath it, shall powre out abomination: and therefore the Lord brought vpon them strange calamities, and ouerthrew them vtterly.
14 The Lord hath cast downe the thrones of proud Princes, and set vp the meeke in their stead.
15 The Lord hath plucked vp the rootes of the proud nations: and planted the lowly in their place.
16 The Lord ouerthrew countreys of the heathen: and destroyed them to the foundations of the earth.
17 He tooke some of them away, and destroyed them, and hath made their memoriall to cease from the earth.
18 Pride was not made for men, nor furious anger for them that are borne of a woman.
19 They that feare the Lord are a sure seed, and they that loue him, an honourable plant: they that regard not the Law, are a dishonourable seed, they that transgresse the commandements, are a deceiuable seed.
20 Among brethren he that is chiefe is honourable, so are they that feare the Lord in his eyes.
21 The feare of the Lord goeth before the obtayning of authoritie: but roughnesse and pride, is the loosing thereof.
22 Whether hee bee rich, noble, or poore, their glorie is the feare of the Lord.
23 It is not meet to despise the poore man that hath vnderstanding, neither is it conuenient to magnifie a sinnefull man.
24 Great men, and Iudges, and Potentates shall bee honoured, yet is there none of them greater then he that feareth the Lord.
25 Unto the seruant that is wise, shall they that are free doe seruice: and hee that hath knowledge, will not grudge when he is reformed.
26 Be not ouerwise in doing thy busines, and boast not thy selfe in the time of thy distresse.
27 Better is he that laboureth and aboundeth in all things, then hee that boasteth himselfe, and wanteth bread.
28 My sonne, glorifie thy soule in meekenesse, and giue it honour according to the dignitie thereof.
29 Who wil iustifie him that sinneth against his owne soule? and who will honour him that dishonoureth his owne life?
30 The poore man is honoured for his skill, and the rich man is honoured for his riches.
31 Hee that is honoured in pouertie, how much more in riches? And he that is dishonourable in riches, how much more in pouertie?
Chap 11
1 Wisedome lifteth vp the head of him that is of low degree, and maketh him to sit among great men.
2 Commend not a man for his beautie, neither abhorre a man for his outward appearance.
3 The Bee is little among such as flie, but her fruite is the chiefe of sweete things.
4 Boast not of thy cloathing and raiment, and exalt not thy selfe in the day of honour: for the workes of the Lord are wonderfull, and his workes among men are hidden.
5 Many kings haue sit downe vpon the ground, and one that was neuer thought of, hath worne the crowne.
6 Many mightie men haue beene greatly disgraced: and the honourable deliuered into other mens hands.
7 Blame not before thou hast examined the trueth: vnderstand first, and then rebuke.
8 Answere not, before thou hast heard the cause: neither interrupt men in the midst of their talke.
9 Striue not in a matter that concerneth thee not: and sit not in iudgement with sinners.
10 My sonne, meddle not with many matters: for if thou meddle much, thou shalt not be innocent: and if thou follow after, thou shalt not obtaine, neither shalt thou escape by flying.
11 There is one that laboureth and taketh paines, and maketh haste, and is so much the more behinde.
12 Againe, there is another that is slow, and hath neede of helpe, wanting abilitie, and full of pouertie, yet the eye of the Lord looked vpon him for good, and set him vp from his low estate,
13 And lifted vp his head from miserie, so that many that saw it, marueiled at him.
14 Prosperitie and aduersitie, life and death, pouerty and riches, come of the Lord.
15 Wisedome, knowledge, and vnderstanding of the Lawe, are of the Lord: loue, & the way of good workes, are from him.
16 Errour and darkenesse had their beginning together with sinners: and euill shall waxe old with them that glory therein.
17 The gift of the Lord remaineth with the godly, and his fauour bringeth prosperitie for euer.
18 There is that waxeth rich by his warinesse, and pinching, and this is the portion of his reward:
19 Whereas he sayth, I haue found rest, and now will eate continually of my goods, and yet hee knoweth not what time shall come vpon him, and that hee must leaue those things to others, and die.
20 Be stedfast in thy couenant, and be conuersant therein, and waxe olde in thy worke.
21 Marueile not at the workes of sinners, but trust in the Lord, and abide in thy labour: for it is an easie thing in the sight of the Lord, on the sudden to make a poore man rich.
22 The blessing of the Lord is in the reward of the godly, and suddenly he maketh his blessing to flourish.
23 Say not, what profit is there of my seruice? and what good things shal I haue hereafter?
24 Againe, say not, I haue enough, and possesse many things; and what euill can come to me hereafter?
25 In the day of prosperitie, there is a forgetfulnesse of affliction: and in the day of affliction, there is no remembrance of prosperitie.
26 For it is an easie thing vnto the Lord in the day of death, to reward a man according to his wayes.
27 The affliction of an houre, maketh a man forget pleasure: and in his end, his deeds shalbe discouered.
28 Iudge none blessed before his death: for a man shall bee knowen in his children.
29 Bring not euery man into thine house, for the deceitfull man hath many traines.
30 Like as a Partrich taken [and kept] in a cage, so is the heart of the proud; and like as a spie, watcheth hee for thy fall.
31 For hee lieth in wait, and turneth good into euill, and in things worthy praise, will lay blame vpon thee.
32 Of a sparke of fire, a heape of coales is kindled: and a sinnefull man layeth waite for blood.
33 Take heed of a mischieuous man, (for hee worketh wickednesse) lest hee bring vpon thee a perpetuall blot.
34 Receiue a stranger into thine house, and hee will disturbe thee, and turne thee out of thine owne.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).