14 What is heavier than lead? and what is the name thereof, but a fool?
15 Sand, and salt, and a mass of iron, is easier to bear, than a man without understanding.
16 As timber girt and bound together in a building cannot be loosed with shaking: so the heart that is stablished by advised counsel shall fear at no time.
17 A heart settled upon a thought of understanding is as a fair plaistering on the wall of a gallery.
18 Pales set on an high place will never stand against the wind: so a fearful heart in the imagination of a fool cannot stand against any fear.
19 He that pricketh the eye will make tears to fall: and he that pricketh the heart maketh it to shew her knowledge.
20 Whoso casteth a stone at the birds frayeth them away: and he that upbraideth his friend breaketh friendship.
21 Though thou drewest a sword at thy friend, yet despair not: for there may be a returning [to favour.]
22 If thou hast opened thy mouth against thy friend, fear not; for there may be a reconciliation: except for upbraiding, or pride, or disclosing of secrets, or a treacherous wound: for for these things every friend will depart.
23 Be faithful to thy neighbour in his poverty, that thou mayest rejoice in his prosperity: abide stedfast unto him in the time of his trouble, that thou mayest be heir with him in his heritage: for a mean estate is not always 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 reviling before blood.
25 I will not be ashamed to defend a friend; neither will I hide myself from him.
26 And if any evil happen unto me by him, every one that heareth it will beware of him.
27 Who shall set a watch before my mouth, and a seal of wisdom upon my lips, that I fall not suddenly by them, and that my tongue destroy me not?
CHAP. XXIII.
1 O Lord, Father and Governor of all my whole life, leave me not to their counsels, and let me not fall by them.
2 Who will set scourges over my thoughts, and the discipline of wisdom over mine heart? that they spare me not for mine ignorances, and it pass not by my sins:
3 Lest mine ignorances increase, and my sins abound to my destruction, and I fall before mine adversaries, and mine enemy rejoice over me, whose hope is far from thy mercy.
4 O Lord, Father and God of my life, give me not a proud look, but turn away from thy servants always a haughty mind.
5 Turn away from me vain hopes and concupiscence, and thou shalt hold him up that is desirous always to serve thee.
6 Let not the greediness of the belly nor lust of the flesh take hold of me; and give not over me thy servant into an impudent mind.
7 Hear, O ye children, the discipline of the mouth: he that keepeth it shall never be taken in his lips.
8 The sinner shall be left in his foolishness: both the evil speaker and the proud shall fall thereby.
9 Accustom not thy mouth to swearing; neither use thyself to the naming of the Holy One.
10 For as a servant that is continually beaten shall not be without a blue mark: so he that sweareth and nameth God continually shall not be faultless.
11 A man that useth much swearing shall be filled with iniquity, and the plague shall never depart from his house: if he shall offend, his sin shall be upon him: and if he acknowledge not his sin, he maketh a double offence: and if he swear in vain, 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 grant that it be not found in the heritage of Jacob; for all such things shall be far from the godly, and they shall not wallow in their sins.
13 Use not thy mouth to intemperate swearing, for therein is the word of sin.
14 Remember thy father and thy mother, when thou sittest among great men. Be not forgetful before them, and so thou by thy custom become a fool, and wish that thou hadst not been born, and curse they day of thy nativity.
15 The man that is accustomed to opprobrious words will never be reformed all the days of his life.
16 Two sorts of men multiply sin, and
