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¹ Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem.² For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis.

³ An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence.⁴ Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair.⁵ A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti.⁶ For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben.

⁷ Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth.⁸ He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool.⁹ The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men.

¹⁰ If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse.

¹¹ Delyuere thou hem, that ben led to deth; and ceesse thou not to delyuere hem, that ben drawun to deth.¹² If thou seist, Strengthis suffisen not; he that is biholdere of the herte, vndirstondith, and no thing disseyueth the kepere of thi soule, and he schal yelde to a man bi hise werkis.

¹³ Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte.¹⁴ `So and the techyng of wisdom is good to thi soule; and whanne thou hast founde it, thou schalt haue hope in the laste thingis, and thin hope schal not perische.

¹⁵ Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste.¹⁶ For a iust man schal falle seuene sithis in the dai, and schal rise ayen; but wickid men schulen falle in to yuele.

¹⁷ Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;¹⁸ lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym.

¹⁹ Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men.²⁰ For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid.

²¹ My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris.²² For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either?

²³ Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom.²⁴ Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable.²⁵ Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem.²⁶ He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis.

²⁷ Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward.

²⁸ Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis.²⁹ Seie thou not, As he dide to me, so Y schal do to him, and Y schal yelde to ech man aftir his werk.

³⁰ I passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo!³¹ nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried.³² And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng.³³ Hou longe slepist thou, slow man? whanne schalt thou ryse fro sleep? Sotheli thou schalt slepe a litil, thou schalt nappe a litil, thou schalt ioyne togidere the hondis a litil, to take reste;³⁴ and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.