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¹ My sonne, if thou bee surety for thy friend, it thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, ² Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the wordes of thy mouth. ³ Doe this now, my sonne, and deliuer thy selfe, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend: goe, humble thy selfe, and make sure thy friend. ⁴ Giue not sleepe to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. ⁵ Deliuer thy selfe as a Roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶ Goe to the Ant, thou sluggard, consider her wayes, and be wise. ⁷ Which hauing no guide, ouerseer, or ruler, ⁸ Prouideth her meat in the Summer, and gathereth her food in the haruest. ⁹ How long wilt thou sleepe, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleepe? ¹⁰ Yet a little sleepe, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleepe. ¹¹ So shall thy pouertie come as one that trauaileth, and thy want as an armed man.

¹² A naughtie person, a wicked man walketh with a froward mouth. ¹³ He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feete, hee teacheth with his fingers. ¹⁴ Frowardnesse is in his heart, he deuiseth mischiefe continually, he soweth discord. ¹⁵ Therefore shall his calamitie come suddenly; suddenly shall hee be broken without remedie. ¹⁶ These sixe things doeth the Lord hate; yea seuen are an abomination vnto him: ¹⁷ A proude looke, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood: ¹⁸ An heart that deuiseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischiefe: ¹⁹ A false witnesse that speaketh lies; and him that soweth discord among brethren.

²⁰ My sonne, keepe thy fathers commandement, and forsake not the law of thy mother. ²¹ Binde them continually vpon thine heart, and tie them about thy necke. ²² When thou goest, it shall leade thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keepe thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talke with thee. ²³ For the Commandement is a lampe, and the Lawe is light: and reproofes of instruction are the way of life: ²⁴ To keepe thee from the euill woman, from the flatterie of the tongue of a strange woman. ²⁵ Lust not after her beautie in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. ²⁶ For by meanes of a whorish woman, a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteresse will hunt for the precious life. ²⁷ Can a man take fire in his bosome, and his clothes not be burnt? ²⁸ Can one goe vpon hote coales, and his feete not be burnt? ²⁹ So he that goeth in to his neighbours wife; whosoeuer toucheth her, shall not be innocent. ³⁰ Men doe not despise a thiefe, if he steale to satisfie his soule, when hee is hungry: ³¹ But if he be found, he shall restore seuenfold, he shall giue all the substance of his house. ³² But who so committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh vnderstanding: hee that doeth it, destroyeth his owne soule. ³³ A wound and dishonour shall he get, and his reproch shall not be wiped away. ³⁴ For iealousie is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. ³⁵ He will not regard any ransome; neither will hee rest content, though thou giuest many giftes.