we knew it not : doth not he that pondereth the heart confider it? and he that keepeth thy foul, doth not he know it? and fhall not he render to every man according to his works? 13 My fon, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honey-comb, which is fweet to thy taste : 14 So fhall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy foul: when thou haft found it, then there fhall be a reward, and thy expectation fhall not be cut off. 15 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; fpoil not his resting-place : 16 For a juft man falleth feven times, and rifeth up again but the wicked fhall fall into mischief. 17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he ftumbleth: 18 Left the Lord fee it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. 19 Fret not thyfelf becaufe of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked: 20 For there fhall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked fhall be put out. 21 My fon, fear thou the Lord, and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: 22 For their calamity shall rife fuddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both? 23 These things also belong to the wife, It is not good to have refpect of perfons in judgment. 24 He that faith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him fhall the people curse, nations fhall abhor him: 25 But to them that rebuke him fhall be delight, and a good bleffing fhall come upon them. 26. Every man fhall kifs his lips that giveth a right anfwer. 27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyfelf in the field; and afterwards build thine houfe.. 28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without caufe; and deceive not with thy lips. 29 Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work. 30 I went by the field of the flothful; and by the vineyard of the man void of underftanding; 31 And lo, it was all CC 4 grown grown over with thorns, and | great men : 33 Yet a little fleep, a little flumber, a little folding of the hands to fleep: 34 So fhall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed 3 The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unfearchable. 4 Take away the drofs from the filver, and there fhall come forth a veffel for the finer : 5 Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne fhall be eftablished in righteoufnefs. 6 Put not forth thyfelf in the prefence of the king, and ftand not in the place of 7 For better it is that it be faid unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou should eft be put lower in the prefence of the prince whom thine eyes have feen, 8 Go not forth hastily to ftrive, left thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to fhame, 9 Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a fecret to another; 10 Left he that heareth it put thee to fhame, and thine infamy turn not away. 11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of filver. 12 As an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, fo is a wife reprover upon an obedient ear. 13 As the cold of fnow in the time of harvest, fo is a faithful meffenger to them that fent him: for he refrefheth the foul of his mafters. 14 Whofo boafteth himfelf of a falfe gift, is like clouds and wind without rain. 15 By long forbearing is a prince perfuaded, and a foft tongue breaketh the bone. 16 Haft thou found ho ney? ney? eat so much as is fufficient for thee, left thou be 26 A righteous man falling down before the wick filled therewith, and vomited is as a troubled fountain it. 17 Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's houfe: left he be weary of thee, and fo hate thee. 18 A man that beareth false witness againft his neighbour is a maul, and a fword, and a fharp arrow. 19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joint. 20 As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre; fo is he that fingeth fongs to an heavy heart. 21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: 22 For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord fhall reward thee. 23 The north wind driveth away rain: fo doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. 24 It is better to dwell in a corner of the house-top, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house. 25 As cold waters to thirfty foul, fo is good news from a far country. A CHAP. XXVI. S fnow in fummer, and as rain in harveft, fo honour is not seemly for a fool. 2 As the bird by wandering, as the fwallow by flying, fo the curfe caufelefs fhall not come. 3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the afs, and a rod for the fool's back. 4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, left thou alfo be like unto him. 5 Anfwer a fool according to his folly, left he be wife in his own conceit. 6 He that fendeth a meffage by the hand of a fool, cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage. 7 The legs of the lame are not equal fo is a paraable in the mouth of fools. 8 As he that bindeth a ftone in a fling, fo is he that + giveth giveth honour to a fool. 9 As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, fo is a parable in the mouth of fools. faith, Am not I in sport? 20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out fo where there is no tale-bearer, the ftrife ceafeth. 21 As coals are to burn 10 The great God that formed all things, both re-ing coals, and wood to fire; wardeth the fool, and re-fo is a contentious man to wardeth tranfgreffors. kindle ftrife. II As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. 12 Seeft thou a man wife in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him. 13 The flothful man faith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets. 14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the flothful upon his bed. 15 The flothful hideth his hand in his bofom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth. 16 The fluggard is wifer in his own conceit than feven men that can render a reafon. 17 He that paffeth by, and meddleth with ftrife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears. 18 As a mad man who cafteth firebrands, arrows, and death; 19 So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and 8 22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermoft parts of the belly. 23 Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potTherd covered with filver drofs. 24 He that hateth diffembleth with his lips, and layeth deceit within him : up 25 When he fpeaketh fair, believe him not: for there are feven abominations in his heart. 26 Whofe hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness fhall be fhewed before the whole congregation, 27 Whofo diggeth a pit, fhall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. 28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it: and a flattering mouth work. eth ruin, CHAP, CHAP. XXVII. OAST not thyfelf of BOA to-morrow: for thou knoweft not what a day may bring forth. 2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a ftranger, and not thine own lips. 3 A ftone is heavy, and the fand weighty: but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both. 4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous: but who is able to ftand before envy? 5 Open rebuke is better than fecret love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kiffes of an enemy are deceitful. 7 The full foul loatheth an honey-comb but to the hungry foul every bitter thing is sweet. a brother far off. 11 My fon, be wife, and make my heart glad, that I may anfwer him that reproacheth me. 12 A prudent man forefeeth the evil, and hideth himfelf: but the fimple pafs on, and are punished, 13 Take his garment that is furety for a ftranger, and take a pledge of him for a ftrange woman. 14 He that bleffeth his friend with a loud voice, rifing early in the morning, it fhall be counted a curfe to him. 15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day, and a contentious woman are alike. 16 Whofoever hideth her, hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand which bewrayeth itself. 17 Iron fharpeneth iron; 8 As a bird that wander-fo a man fharpeneth the eth from her neft, fo is a man that wandereth from his place. 9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: fo doth the fweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel. 10 Thine own friend and thy father's friend forfake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity for better is a a neighbour that is near, than countenance of his friend. 18 Whofo keepeth the figtree fhall eat the fruit thereof: fo he that waiteth on his mafter fhall be honoured. 19 As in water face an fwereth to face, so the heart of man to man. 20 Hell and deftruction are never full; fo the eyes of man are never fatisfied. 21 As the fining-pot for filver, and the furnace for gold: |