1For he coveteth not the multitude of sons unfaithful [or of unfaithful sons] and unprofitable.

2Be thou not glad in wicked [or unpious] sons, if they be multiplied; neither delight thou on them, if the dread of God is not in them.

3Believe thou not [or Not give thou faith] to the life of them, and behold thou not into the travails of them. For why better is one dreading God, than a thousand wicked [or unpious] sons. And it is more profitable to die without sons, than to leave wicked [or unpious] sons.

4A country [or city] shall be inhabited of one witting man; and it shall be made desert [or forsaken] of three wicked [or unpious] men.

5Mine eye saw many other things, and mine ear heard stronger things than these.

6Fire shall burn on high in the synagogue of sinners, and ire shall burn on high in a folk unbelieveful.

7Eld [or Old] giants that were destroyed, trusting on their virtue, prayed not for their sins;

8and God[or he] spared not the pilgrimage of them, that is, their life, which is a pilgrimage on earth, but he killed them, and cursed them, for the pride of their word.

9He had not mercy on them, and he lost [or destroying] all the folk enhancing themselves in their sins.

10And as he killed six hundred thousand of footmen, that were gathered together in the hardness of their hearts, that is, rebelty against God;

11and if one had been hard-nolled, it is a wonder if he had been guiltless [or harmless]. For why mercy and ire [or wrath] is with him; prayer is mighty, and shedding out ire [or pouring out wrath].

12By his mercy, so is the chastising of each man; he is deemed by his works. [After his mercy, so the chastising of him; he deemeth a man after his works.]

13A sinner in raven shall not escape; and the sufferance of him that doeth mercy shall not tarry [behind].

14All mercy shall make place to each man, after the merit of his works, and after the understanding of his pilgrimage.

15(This verse is omitted in the original text.)

16(This verse is omitted in the original text.)

17Say thou not, I shall be hid from God; and from the highest, that is, heaven, who shall have mind on me? Say thou not, I shall not be known in a great number of people; for why which is my soul in so great a number of creature? [or what forsooth is my soul in so great a creature without measure?]

18Lo! heaven, and the heavens of heavens, the great ocean [or the sea, or deepness], and all earth, and those things that be in those [or them], shall be moved in his sight;

19mountains altogether, and little hills, and the foundaments of earth; and when God beholdeth those [or them], those shall be shaken alto-gether with trembling [or by trem-bling they shall be smitten together].

20And in all these things the heart is unwise, and each heart is understood of him. And who understandeth his ways?

21and a tempest, which the eye of man saw not? For why full many works of him be in hid things,

22but who shall tell out the works of his rightfulness [or rightwiseness], either who shall suffer them? For why the testament is far from some men; and the asking of men is in the ending.

23He that is made little in heart, thinketh vain things; and a man unprudent and a fool thinketh fond things [or the unprudent man and erring thinketh follies].

24Son, hear thou me, and learn thou teaching [or discipline] of wit, and give thou attention to my words in thine heart;

25and I shall say teaching in equity, and I shall seek to tell out wisdom. And give thou attention to my words in thine heart; and I say in equity of spirit the virtues, which God hath set on his works at the beginning [or that God put into his works from the beginning], and in truth I tell out the knowing of him.

26In the doom of God be his works from the beginning; and in the ordinance of those, he parted the parts of those [or from the ordaining of those men he severed the parts of them], and he parted the beginnings of those [or them] in his folks.

27He adorned without end the works of them; they hungered not, neither travailed, and they ceased not of their works.

28Each shall not make strait [or anguish] the next to him, till into without end. Be thou not un-believeful to the word of him.

29After these things God beheld into the earth, and filled it with his goods.

30Forsooth the soul of each living thing told before his face; and that soul is again the turning again of those things.