1 A slouthful man is compared to a filthy stone, and euery one will hisse him out to his disgrace.
2 A slouthfull man is compared to the filth of a dunghill: euery man that takes it vp, will shake his hand.
3 An euill nurtured sonne is the dishonour of his father that begate him: and a [foolish] daughter is borne to his losse.
4 A wise daughter shall bring an inheritance to her husband: but shee that liueth dishonestly, is her fathers heauinesse.
5 Shee that is bold, dishonoureth both her father and her husband, but they both shall despise her.
6 A tale out of season [is as] musick in mourning: but stripes and correction of wisedome are neuer out of time.
7 Who so teacheth a foole, is as one that gleweth a potsheard together, and as hee that waketh one from a sound sleepe.
8 Hee that telleth a tale to a foole, speaketh to one in a slumber: when hee hath told his tale, he will say, What is the matter?
9 If children liue honestly, and haue wherwithall, they shall couer the basenesse of their parents.
10 But children being haughtie through disdaine, and want of nurture, doe staine the nobilitie of their kinred.
11 Weepe for the dead, for hee hath lost the light: and weepe for the foole, for he wanteth vnderstanding: make litle weeping for the dead, for hee is at rest: but the life of the foole is worse then death.
12 Seuen dayes doe men mourne for him that is dead; but for a foole, and an vngodly man, all the dayes of his life.
13 Talke not much with a foole, and goe not to him that hath no vnderstanding, beware of him lest thou haue trouble, and thou shalt neuer be defiled with his fooleries: depart from him, and thou shalt find rest, and neuer bee disquieted with madnesse.
14 What is heauier then lead? and what is the name thereof, but a foole?
15 Sand, and salt, and a masse of yron is easier to beare then a man without vnderstanding.
16 As timber girt and bound together in a building, cannot be loosed with shaking: so the heart that is stablished by aduised counsel, shal feare at no time.
17 A heart setled vpon a thought of vnderstanding, is as a faire plaistering on the wall of a gallerie.
18 Pales set on an high place will neuer stand against the wind: so a feareful heart in the imagination of a foole, can not stand against any feare.
19 He that pricketh the eye, wil make teares to fall: and he that pricketh the heart, maketh it to shewe her knowledge.
20 Who so casteth a stone at the birds, frayeth them away, and he that vpbraideth his friend, breaketh friendship.
21 Though thou drewest a sword at thy friend, yet despaire not, for there way be a returning (to fauour.)
22 If thou hast opened thy mouth against thy friend, feare not, for there may be a reconciliation: except for vpbraiding, or pride, or disclosing of secrets, or a treacherous wound, for, for these things euery friend will depart.
23 Be faithfull to thy neighbour in his pouertie, that thou mayest reioyce in his prosperitie: abide stedfast vnto him in the time of his trouble, that thou mayest bee heire with him in his heritage: for a meane estate is not alwayes to be contemned, nor the rich that is foolish, to be had in admiration.
24 As the vapour and smoke of a furnace goeth before the fire: so reuiling before blood.
25 I will not be ashamed to defend a friend: neither will I hide my selfe from him.
26 And if any euill happen vnto me by him, euery one that heareth it will beware of him.
27 Who shall set a watch before my mouth, and a seale of wisedome vpon my lippes, that I fall not suddenly by them, & that my tongue destroy me not?
Chap 23
1 O Lord, father and gouernour of all my whole life, leaue me not to their counsels, and let me not fall by them.
2 Who will set scourges ouer my thoughts, and the discipline of wisedome ouer mine heart? that they spare me not for mine ignorances and it passe not by my sinnes:
3 Least mine ignorances increase, and my sinnes abound to my destruction, and I fall before mine aduersaries, and mine enemie reioyce ouer mee, whose hope is farre from thy mercy.
4 O Lord, father and God of my life, giue me not a proud looke, but turne away from thy seruants alwaies a haughty minde:
5 Turne away from mee vaine hopes, and concupiscence, and thou shalt hold him vp that is desirous alwaies to serue thee.
6 Let not the greedinesse of the belly, nor lust of the flesh take hold of me, and giue not ouer me thy seruant into an impudent minde.
7 Heare, O yee children, the discipline of the mouth: He that keepeth it, shall neuer be taken in his lippes.
8 The sinner shall be left in his foolishnesse: both the euill speaker and the proud shall fall thereby.
9 Accustome not thy mouth to swearing: neither vse thy selfe to the naming of the holy one.
10 For as a seruant that is continually beaten, shall not be without a blew marke: so hee that sweareth and nameth God continually, shal not be faultlesse.
11 A man that vseth much swearing shall be filled with iniquity, and the plague shall neuer depart from his house: If he shall offend, his sinne shall be vpon him: and if he acknowledge not his sinne, hee maketh a double offence, and if he sweare in vaine, he shall not be innocent, but his house shall be full of calamities.
12 There is a word that is clothed about with death: God graunt that it be not found in the heritage of Iacob, for all such things shall be farre from the godly, and they shall not wallow in their sinnes.
13 Use not thy mouth to vntemperate swearing, for therein is the word of sinne.
14 Remember thy father and thy mother, when thou sittest among great men. Be not forgetfull before them, and so thou by thy custome become a foole, and wish that thou hadst not beene borne, and curse the day of thy natiuitie.
15 The man that is accustomed to opprobrious words, will neuer be reformed all the daies of his life.
16 Two sorts of men multiply sinne, and the third will bring wrath: a hot minde is as a burning fire, it will neuer be quenched till it be consumed: a fornicatour in the body of his flesh, will neuer cease till he hath kindled a fire.
17 All bread is sweete to a whoremonger, he will not leaue off till he die.
18 A man that breaketh wedlocke, saying thus in his heart, Who seeth me? I am compassed about with darknesse: the walles couer me; & no body seeth me, what neede I to feare? The most high wil not remember my sinnes:
19 Such a man only feareth the eies of men, and knoweth not that the eies of the Lord are tenne thousand times brighter then the Sunne, beholding all the waies of men, and considering the most secret parts.
20 He knew all things ere euer they were created, so also after they were perfited, he looked vpon them all:
21 This man shall bee punished in the streets of the citie, and where he suspecteth not, he shall be taken.
22 Thus shall it goe also with the wife, that leaueth her husband, and bringeth in an heire by another:
23 For first she hath disobeyed the Law of the most High: and secondly, she hath trespassed against her owne husband, and thirdly, she hath played the whore in adultery, and brought children by another man.
24 Shee shall be brought out into the congregation, and inquisition shalbe made of her children.
25 Her children shall not take root, and her branches shall bring foorth no fruit.
26 She shall leaue her memorie to be cursed, and her reproch shall not be blotted out.
27 And they that remaine, shall know that there is nothing better then the feare of the Lord, and that there is nothing sweeter then to take heed vnto the Commandement of the Lord.
28 It is great glory to follow the Lord, & to be receiued of him is long life.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).