1They have set thee a governor, do not thou be enhanced; be thou among them as one of them. Have thou care of them, and so behold thou; and when all thy care is filled, sit thou to meat [or rest].

2That thou be glad for them, and take the ornament of grace; and get crown, and dignity of congregation.

3Speak thou, the greater man in birth; for why the word of him that loveth knowing become thee first; and hinder thou not music.

4Where hearing is not, shed [or pour] thou not out a word; and do not thou be enhanced uncovenably in thy wisdom.

5A gem of carbuncle in the ornament of gold; and comparison of musics in the feast of wine.

6As in the making [or forging] of gold is a signet of smaragdus, so the number of musics is in merry and measurable [or temperate] wine.

7Hear thou [being] still, and good grace shall come to thee for rever-ence. Young man, speak thou scarce-ly in thy cause, when need is. If thou art asked twice, the head have thine answer.

8In many things be thou as unknowing, and hear thou [being] still altogether, and asking [or seek-ing].

9And presume thou not to speak in the midst of great men; and where eld [or old] men be, speak thou not much.

10Lightning shall go before hail, and grace shall go before shamefast-ness, and good grace shall come [or fall] to thee for reverence.

11And in the hour of rising, trifle thee not, that is, make thee no tarrying in arraying, either trifling of hairs, as women do; forsooth run thou before first into thine house, and there call thou thee to answer, and there play thou.

12And do thy conceits [or con-ceivings], that is, perform thy good purpose conceived there, and not in sins, and in a proud word.

13On all these things, bless thou the Lord, that made thee, and filling thee greatly of all his goods.

14He that dreadeth God, shall take his teaching, [or Who dreadeth God, shall take the doctrine of him]; and they that wake to him, shall find blessing.

15He that seeketh the law, shall be filled thereof; and he that doeth traitorously, shall be caused to stumble therein.

16They that dread God, shall find just doom; and shall kindle rightful-ness [or rightwiseness] as light.

17A sinful man, that is, obstinate in sin, shall eschew blaming [or shun correction]; and after his will, he shall find comparison.

18A man of counsel shall not lose [or destroy] understanding; a man alien and proud shall not dread dreading. Yea, after that he hath done with that dread without counsel, and he shall be reproved by his pursuings [or followings].

19Son, do thou nothing without counsel; and after the deed thou shalt not repent.

20Go thou not in the way of falling, and offend thou not against stones.

21Betake thou not thee to a tra-vailous way, lest thou set cause of stumbling to thy soul;

22and be thou ware of thy sons, and perceive thou [or take heed] of thy menials.

23In all thy work believe thou by faith of thy soul; for why this is the keeping of commandments.

24He that believeth to God, taketh heed to the commandments; and he that trusteth in him, shall not be made less, either deceived.