- 1
- My sonne, forget not thou my lawe, but see that thine heart kepe my commaundementes:
- 2
- For they shal prolong the dayes and yeres of thy lyfe, and bryng thee peace.
- 3
- Let mercie and faithfulnesse neuer go from thee: binde them about thy necke, and write them in the tables of thyne heart:
- 4
- So shalt thou finde fauour and good vnderstandyng in the sight of God and men.
- 5
- Put thy trust in God with all thine heart: & leane not vnto thine owne wit:
- 6
- In all thy wayes acknowledge him, and he shall order thy goynges.
- 7
- Be not wise in thine owne conceipt: but feare the Lorde, and depart from euyll:
- 8
- So shall thy nauell be whole, and thy bones strong.
- 9
- Honour the Lorde with thy substaunce, and with the firstlynges of all thyne encrease:
- 10
- So shall thy barnes be filled with plenteousnesse, and thy presses shall flowe ouer with sweete wine.
- 11
- My sonne refuse not the chastening of the Lorde, neither faynt when thou art corrected of hym:
- 12
- For whom the Lorde loueth, him he chasteneth, and yet deliteth in him, euen as a father in his owne sonne.
- 13
- Well is hym that findeth wysdome, and getteth vnderstandyng:
- 14
- For the marchaundise of it, is better then the marchaundise of siluer, and the gayne therof [is better] then golde.
- 15
- She is more worth then pretious stones: and all the thinges that thou canst desire, are not to be compared vnto her.
- 16
- In her right hande is long life, and in her left hande riches and honour.
- 17
- Her wayes are pleasaunt wayes, and all her pathes are peaceable.
- 18
- She is a tree of lyfe to them that lay holde vpon her: and blessed is he that kepeth her fast.
- 19
- With wysdome hath the Lorde layde the foundation of the earth, and thorow vnderstanding hath he stablished the heauens.
- 20
- Thorow his knowledge the deapthes are broken vp, and the cloudes droppe downe the deawe.
- 21
- My sonne, let not these thinges depart from thyne eyes, but kepe wysdome and vnderstanding:
- 22
- So they shall be lyfe vnto thy soule, and grace vnto thy mouth.
- 23
- Then shalt thou walke safely in thy way, and thy foote shall not stumble.
- 24
- If thou sleepest, thou shalt not be afraide: but shalt take thy rest, and sleepe sweetely.
- 25
- Thou shalt not be afraide of any sodayne feare, neither for the violent rushing in of the vngodly when it commeth.
- 26
- For the Lorde shall stande by thy side, & kepe thy foote that thou be not taken.
- 27
- Withdraw no good thyng from them that haue nede, so long as thyne hande is able to do it.
- 28
- Say not vnto thy neyghbour, go thy way and come agayne, and to morowe wyll I geue thee: where as thou hast nowe to geue hym.
- 29
- Intende no hurt against thy neyghbour, seing he hopeth to dwell in rest by thee.
- 30
- Striue not with any man without a cause, where as he hath done thee no harme.
- 31
- Folowe not a wicked man, and chose none of his wayes:
- 32
- For the Lord abhorreth the froward: but his counsayle is among the righteous.
- 33
- The curse of the Lord is in the house of the vngodly: but he blesseth the dwellinges of the righteous.
- 34
- As for the scornfull, doth he not laugh them to scorne?
but he geueth grace vnto the lowly.
- 35
- The wyse shall haue honour in possession: but shame is the promotion that fooles shall haue.
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