Son, defraud not the poor of alms, and turn not away thy eyes from the poor.

Despise not the hungry soul: and provoke not the poor in his want.

Afflict not the heart of the needy, and defer not to give to him that is in distress.

Reject not the petition of the afflicted: and turn not away thy face from the needy.

Turn not away thy eyes from the poor for fear of anger: and leave not to them that ask of thee to curse thee behind thy back.

For the prayer of him that curseth thee in the bitterness of his soul, shall be heard, for he that made him will hear him.

Make thyself affable to the congregation of the poor, and humble thy soul to the ancient, and bow thy head to a great man.

Bow down thy ear cheerfully to the poor, and pay what thou owest, and answer him peaceable words with mildness.

Deliver him that suffereth wrong out of the hand of the proud: and be not fainthearted in thy soul.

In judging be merciful to the fatherless as a father, and as a husband to their mother.

And thou shalt be as the obedient son of the most High, and he will have mercy on thee more than a mother.

Wisdom inspireth life into her children, and protecteth them that seek after her, and will go before them in the way of justice.

And he that loveth her, loveth life: and they that watch for her, shall embrace her sweetness.

They that hold her fast, shall inherit life: and whithersoever she entereth, God will give a blessing.

They that serve her, shall be servants to the holy one: and God loveth them that love her.

He that hearkeneth to her, shall judge nations: and he that looketh upon her, shall remain secure.

If he trust to her, he shall inherit her, and his generation shall be in assurance.

For she walketh with him in temptation, and at the first she chooseth him.

She will bring upon him fear and dread and trial: and she will scourge him with the affliction of her discipline, till she try him by her laws, and trust his soul.

Then she will strengthen him, and make a straight way to him, and give him joy,

And will disclose her secrets to him, and will heap upon him treasures of knowledge and understanding of justice.

But if he go astray, she will forsake him, and deliver him into the hands of his enemy.

Son, observe the time, and fly from evil.

For thy soul be not ashamed to say the truth.

For there is a shame that bringeth sin, and there is a shame that bringeth glory and grace.

Accept no person against thy own person, nor against thy soul a lie.

Reverence not thy neighbour in his fall:

And refrain not to speak in the time of salvation. Hide not thy wisdom in her beauty.

For by the tongue wisdom is discerned: and understanding, and knowledge, and learning by the word of the wise, and steadfastness in the works of justice.

In nowise speak against the truth, but be ashamed of the lie of thy ignorance.

Be not ashamed to confess thy sins, but submit not thyself to every man for sin.

Resist not against the face of the mighty, and do not strive against the stream of the river.

Strive for justice for thy soul, and even unto death fight for justice, and God will overthrow thy enemies for thee.

Be not hasty in thy tongue: and slack and remiss in thy works.

Be not as a lion in thy house, terrifying them of thy household, and oppressing them that are under thee.

Let not thy hand be stretched out to receive, and shut when thou shouldst give.

Set not thy heart upon unjust possessions, and say not: I have enough to live on: for it shall be of no service in the time of vengeance and darkness.

Follow not in thy strength the desires of thy heart:

And say not: How mighty am I? and who shall bring me under for my deeds? for God will surely take revenge.

Say not: I have sinned, and what harm hath befallen me? for the most High is a patient rewarder.

Be not without fear about sin forgiven, and add not sin upon sin:

And say not: The mercy of the Lord is great, he will have mercy on the multitude of my sins.

For mercy and wrath quickly come from him, and his wrath looketh upon sinners.

Delay not to be converted to the Lord, and defer it not from day to day.

For his wrath shall come on a sudden, and in the time of vengeance he will destroy thee.

Be not anxious for goods unjustly gotten: for they shall not profit thee in the day of calamity and revenge.

Winnow not with every wind, and go not into every way: for so is every sinner proved by a double tongue.

Be steadfast in the way of the Lord, and in the truth of thy judgment, and in knowledge, and let the word of peace and justice keep with thee.

Be meek to hear the word, that thou mayst understand: and return a true answer with wisdom.

If thou have understanding, answer thy neighbour: but if not, let thy hand be upon thy mouth, lest thou be surprised in an unskilful word, and be confounded.

Honour and glory is in the word of the wise, but the tongue of the fool is his ruin.

Be not called a whisperer, and be not taken in thy tongue, and confounded.

For confusion and repentance is upon a thief, and an evil mark of disgrace upon the double tongued, but to the whisperer hatred, and enmity, and reproach.

Justify alike the small and the great.

Instead of a friend become not an enemy to thy neighbour: for an evil man shall inherit reproach and shame, so shall every sinner that is envious and double tongued.

Extol not thyself in the thoughts of thy soul like a bull: lest thy strength be quashed by folly,

And it eat up thy leaves, and destroy thy fruit, and thou be left as a dry tree in the wilderness.

For a wicked soul shall destroy him that hath it, and maketh him to be a joy to his enemies, and shall lead him into the lot of the wicked.

A sweet word multiplieth friends, and appeaseth enemies, and a gracious tongue in a good man aboundeth.

Be in peace with many, but let one of a thousand be thy counsellor.

If thou wouldst get a friend, try him before thou takest him, and do not credit him easily.

For there is a friend for his own occasion, and he will not abide in the day of thy trouble.

And there is a friend that turneth to enmity; and there is a friend that will disclose hatred and strife and reproaches.

And there is a friend a companion at the table, and he will not abide in the day of distress.

A friend if he continue steadfast, shall be to thee as thyself, and shall act with confidence among them of thy household.

If he humble himself before thee, and hide himself from thy face, thou shalt have unanimous friendship for good.

Separate thyself from thy enemies, and take heed of thy friends.

A faithful friend is a strong defence: and he that hath found him, hath found a treasure.

Nothing can be compared to a faithful friend, and no weight of gold and silver is able to countervail the goodness of his fidelity.

A faithful friend is the medicine of life and immortality: and they that fear the Lord, shall find him.

He that feareth God, shall likewise have good friendship: because according to him shall his friend be.

My son, from thy youth up receive instruction, and even to thy grey hairs thou shalt find wisdom.

Come to her as one that plougheth, and soweth, and wait for her good fruits:

For in working about her thou shalt labour a little, and shalt quickly eat of her fruits.

How very unpleasant is wisdom to the unlearned, and the unwise will not continue with her.

She shall be to them as a mighty stone of trial, and they will cast her from them before it be long.

For the wisdom of doctrine is according to her name, and she is not manifest unto many, but with them to whom she is known, she continueth even to the sight of God.

Give ear, my son, and take wise counsel, and cast not away my advice.

Put thy feet into her fetters, and thy neck into her chains:

Bow down thy shoulder, and bear her, and be not grieved with her bands.

Come to her with all thy mind, and keep her ways with all thy power.

Search for her, and she shall be made known to thee, and when thou hast gotten her, let her not go:

For in the latter end thou shalt find rest in her, and she shall be turned to thy joy.

Then shall her fetters be a strong defence for thee, and a firm foundation, and her chain a robe of glory:

For in her is the beauty of life, and her bands are a healthful binding.

Thou shalt put her on as a robe of glory, and thou shalt set her upon thee as a crown of joy.

My son, if thou wilt attend to me, thou shalt learn: and if thou wilt apply thy mind, thou shalt be wise.

If thou wilt incline thy ear, thou shalt receive instruction: and if thou love to hear, thou shalt be wise.

Stand in the multitude of ancients that are wise, and join thyself from thy heart to their wisdom, that thou mayst hear every discourse of God, and the sayings of praise may not escape thee.

And if thou see a man of understanding, go to him early in the morning, and let thy foot wear the steps of his doors.

Let thy thoughts be upon the precepts of God, and meditate continually on his commandments: and he will give thee a heart, and the desire of wisdom shall be given to thee.