1Blessed is the man that hath not slipt with his mouth,
And is not pricked with the multitude of sins.

2Blessed is he whose conscience hath not condemned him,
And who is not fallen from his hope in the Lord.

3Riches are not comely for a niggard:
And what should an envious man do with money?

4He that gathereth by defrauding his own soul gathereth for others,
That shall spend his goods riotously.

5He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good?
He shall not take pleasure in his goods.

6There is none worse than he that envieth himself;
And this is a recompence of his wickedness.

7And if he doeth good, he doeth it unwillingly;
And at the last he will declare his wickedness.

8The envious man hath a wicked eye;
He turneth away his face, and despiseth men.

9A covetous man’s eye is not satisfied with his portion;
And the iniquity of the wicked drieth up his soul.

10A wicked eye envieth his bread,
And he is a niggard at his table.

11My son, according to thy ability do good to thyself,
And give the Lord his due offering.

12Remember that death will not be long in coming,
And that the covenant of the grave is not shewed unto thee.

13Do good unto thy friend before thou die,
And according to thy ability stretch out thy hand and give to him.

14Defraud not thyself of the good day,
And let not the part of a good desire overpass thee.

15Shalt thou not leave thy travails unto another?
And thy labours to be divided by lot?

16Give, and take, and sanctify thy soul;
For there is no seeking of dainties in the grave.

17All flesh waxeth old as a garment:
For the covenant from the beginning is, Thou shalt die the death.

18As of the green leaves on a thick tree,
Some fall, and some grow;
So is the generation of flesh and blood,
One cometh to an end, and another is born.

19Every work rotteth and consumeth away,
And the worker thereof shall go withal.

20Blessed is the man that doth meditate good things in wisdom,
And that reasoneth of holy things by his understanding.

21He that considereth her ways in his heart
Shall also have understanding in her secrets.

22Go after her as one that traceth,
And lie in wait in her ways.

23He that prieth in at her windows
Shall also hearken at her doors.

24He that doth lodge near her house
Shall also fasten a pin in her walls.

25He shall pitch his tent nigh unto her,
And shall lodge in a lodging where good things are.

26He shall set his children under her shelter,
And shall lodge under her branches.

27By her he shall be covered from heat,
And in her glory shall he dwell.