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understand first, and then rebuke.

8 Answer not before thou haft heard the caufe; neither interrupt men in the midst of their talk.

9 Strive not in a matter that concerneth thee not; and fit not in judgment with finners.

10 My fon, meddle not with many matters: for if thou meddle much, thou fhalt not be innocent; and if thou follow after, thou shalt not obtain, neither fhalt thou escape by flying.

II There is one that laboureth and taketh pains, and maketh hafte, and is fo much the more behind.

12 Again, there is another that is flow, and hath need of help, wanting ability, and full of poverty; yet the eye of the Lord looked upon him for good, and fet him up from his low eftate,

13 And lifted up his head from mifery, fo that many that faw it marvelled at him.

are from him.

16 Error and darknefs had their beginning together with finners: and evil shall wax old with them that glory therein.

17 The gift of the Lord remaineth with the godly, and his favour bringeth profperity for ever.

18 There is that waxeth rich by his wariness and pinching, and this is the portion of his reward :

19 Whereas he faith, I have found reft, and now will eat continually of my goods, and yet he knoweth not what time fhall come upon him, and that he must leave those things to others, and die.

20 Be ftedfast in thy covenant, and be converfant therein, and wax old in thy work.

21 Marvel not at the works of finners, but trust in the Lord, and abide in the labour: for it is an eafy thing in the fight of the Lord, on the fudden to make a poor man rich.

14 Profperity and adver- 22 The bleffing of the fity, life and death, poverty Lord is in the reward of the and riches, come of the Lord.godly, and fuddenly he mak15 Wisdom, knowledge, eth his bleffing to flouand understanding of the rifh.

law, are of the Lord: love,

23 Say not, What profit and the way of good works, is there of my fervice? and

what

have hereafter?

what good things fhall I 33 Take heed of a mifchievous man (for he work24 Again, fay not, I have eth wickedness,) left he enough, and poffefs many bring upon thee a perthings, and what evil can petual blot. come to me hereafter? 25 In the day of profperity there is a forgetfulnefs of affliction: and in the day of affliction there is no remembrance of profperity.

26 For it is an eafy thing unto the Lord in the day of death, to reward a man according to his ways.

27 The affliction of an hour maketh a man forget pleasure and in his end his deeds fhall be discovered.

28 Judge none bleffed before his death for a man fhall be known in his children.

29 Bring not every man into thine houfe: for the deceitful man hath many

trains.

30 Like as a partridge taken [and kept] in a cage, fo is the heart of the proud; and like as a spy, watcheth he for thy fall.

31 For he lieth in wait, and turneth good into evil, and in things worthy praife, will lay blame upon thee.

32 Of a spark of fire a heap of coals is kindled: and a finful man layeth wait for blood.

34 Receive a stranger into thine houfe, and he will difturb thee, and turn thee out of thine own.

CHAP. XII.

WH

WHEN thou wilt do good, know to whom thou doeft it: fo fhalt thou be thanked for thy benefits.

2 Do good to the godly man, and thou fhalt 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 finner.

5 Do well unto him that is lowly, but give not to the ungodly: hold back thy bread, and give it not unto him, left he overmafter thee thereby. For [elfe] thou fhalt receive twice as much evil for all the good thou fhalt have done unto him.

6 For the most High hateth finners, and will repay vengeance unto the ungodly, and keepeth them against the

mighty day of their punish

ment.

15 For a while he will abide with thee, but if thou begin to fall, he will not

7 Give unto the good, and help not the finner. tarry. 8 A friend cannot be known in profperity, and an enemy cannot be hidden in adversity.

16 An enemy speaketh fweetly with his lips, but in his heart he imagineth how to throw thee into a pit: he will weep with his eyes, but

not be fatisfied with blood.

9 In the profperity of a man, enemies will be griev-if he find opportunity, he will ed: but in his adverfity, even a friend will depart. 10 Never truft thine enemy: for like as iron rufteth, fo is his wickedness.

II Though he humble himself, and go crouching, yet take good heed, and beware of him, and thou fhalt be unto him, as if thou hadft wiped a looking-glafs, and thou fhalt know that his ruft hath not been altogether wiped away.

17 If adverfity come upon thee, thou fhalt find him there firft; and though he pretend to help thee, yet hall he undermine thee.

18 He will shake his head and clap his hands, and whifper much, and change his countenance.

H

CHAP. XIII.

E that toucheth pitch, fhall be defiled therewith, and he that hath fel

12 Set him not by thee, left, when he hath over-lowfhip with a proud man, thrown thee, he ftand up in fhall be like unto him. thy place; neither let him fit at thy right hand, left he feek to take thy feat, and thou at the laft remember | my words, and be pricked therewith.

13 Who will pity a charmer that is bitten with a ferpent, or any fuch as come nigh wild beasts ?

14 So one that goeth to a finner, and is defiled with him in his fins, who will pity ?

2 Burden not thyself above thy power, while thou liveft, and have no fellowfhip with one that is mightier and richer than thyself. For how agree the kettle and the earthen pot together? for if the one be fmitten against the other, it fhall be broken.

3 The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he threateneth withal the poor is wronged, and he muft intreat alfo.

4 If

4 If thou be for his profit, he will use thee: but if thou have nothing, he will forfake thee.

5 If thou have any thing, he will live with thee: yea, he will make thee bare, and will not be forry for it.

6 If he have need of thee, he will deceive thee, and fmile upon thee, and put thee in hope; he will fpeak thee fair, and say, What wanteft thou?

7 And he will shame thee by his meats, until he have drawn thee dry twice or thrice, and at the last he will laugh thee to fcorn: afterward, when he feeth thee, he will forfake thee, and fhake his head at thee.

8 Beware that thou be not deceived, and brought down in thy jollity.

9 If thou be invited of a mighty man, withdraw thyfelf, and fo much the more will he invite thee.

10 Prefs thou not upon him, left thou be put back; ftand not far off, left thou be forgotten.

II Affect not to be made equal unto him in talk, and believe not his many words: for with much communication will he tempt thee, and fmiling upon thee, will get out thy fecrets;

12 But cruelly he will lay up thy words, and will not fpare to do thee hurt, and to put thee in prison.

13 Obferve, and take good heed, for thou walkest in peril of thy overthrowing : when thou heareft these things, awake in thy fleep.

14 Love the Lord all thy life, and call upon him for thy falvation.

15 Every beast loveth his like, and every man loveth his neighbour.

16 All flesh conforteth according to kind, and a man will cleave to his like.

17 What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb? fo the finner with the godly.

18 What agreement is there between the hyena and a dog? and what peace between the rich and the poor?

19 As the wild afs is the lion's prey in the wilderness : fo the rich eat up the poor.

20 As the proud hate humility: fo doth the rich abhor the poor.

21 A rich man beginning to fall, is held up of his friends; but a poor man being down, is thrust also away by his friends.

22 When a rich man is fallen, he hath many helpers: he fpeaketh things not to be fpoken, and yet men justify

him: the poor man flipt, 3 Riches are not comely and yet they rebuked him for a niggard: and what too; he fpake wifely, and fhould an envious man do could have no place. with money?

23 When a rich man fpeaketh, every man holdeth his tongue, and look, what he faith, they extol it to the clouds but if the poor man fpeak, they fay, What fellow is this? and if he ftumble, they will help to overthrow

him.

24 Riches are good unto him that hath no fin, and poverty is evil in the mouth of the ungodly.

25 The heart of a man changeth his countenance, whether it be for good or evil: and a merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.

4 He that gathereth by defrauding his own foul, gathereth for others that shall spend his goods riotously.

5 He that is evil to himfelf, to whom will he be good? he fhall not take pleafure in his goods.

6 There is none worfe than he that envieth himself, and this is a recompence of his wickedness.

7 And if he doeth good, he doeth it unwillingly, and at the last he will declare his wickedness.

8 The envious man hath a wicked eye, he turneth 26 A cheerful counte-away his face, and despiseth nance is a token of a heart men. that is in profperity; and the finding out of parables is a wearifome labour of the mind.

B

9 A covetous man's eye is not fatisfied with his portion, and the iniquity of the wicked drieth up his foul.

10 A wicked eye envieth [his] bread, and he is a niggard at his table.

CHAP. XIV. LESSED is the man that hath not flipt with 11 My fon, according to his mouth, and is not prick-thy ability, do good to thyed with the multitude of felf, and give the Lord his due offering.

fins.

2 Blessed is he whofe confcience hath not condemned him, and who is not fallen from his hope in the Lord.

12 Remember that death will not be long in coming, and that the covenant of the grave is not fhewed unto

thee.

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