1Chide [or Strive] thou not with a mighty man, lest thou fall into his hands.

2Strive thou not with a rich man, lest peradventure he make play again-ward to thee [or lest again-ward he set strife to thee]. For why gold and silver hath lost many men; and it stretcheth forth till to the heart[s] of kings, and turneth them.

3Chide [or Strive] thou not with a man, a jangler [or a tonguey man], and lay thou not trees into his fire.

4Commune thou not with an untaught man, lest he speak evil of thy kindred.

5Despise thou not a man turning away himself from sin, neither up-braid thou him [nor put thou reproof to him]; have thou mind, that all we be in corruption.

6Despise thou not a man in his eld age; for why some of us men wax eld [or old].

7Do not thou make joy of thine enemy being dead, witting that all we die, and will not to come into joy of our enemies.

8Despise thou not the telling of wise priests, and be thou conversant in the proverbs of them [or in the proverbs of them altogether dwell thou]; for of them thou shalt learn wisdom, and teaching of understand-ing, and to serve without complaint to great men.

9The telling of elder men pass not by thee [or Pass not beside thee the telling of elders]; for they have learned of their fathers. For of them thou shalt learn understanding; and in the time of need thou shalt give [an] answer.

10Kindle thou not the coals of sinners, and reprove them; and be thou not burnt with the flame of [the] fire of their sins.

11Stand thou not against the face of a man full of despising [or the face of the strifeful]; lest he sit as an espyer to thy mouth.

12Do not thou lend to a man stronger than thou; that if thou hast lent, have thou it as lost.

13Promise thou not above [or over] thy power or virtue; that if thou hast promised, bethink thou as yielding, for thou art holden to do thy might.

14Deem thou not against a judge; for he deemeth after that, that is just.

15Go thou not in the way with an hardy man, lest peradventure he aggregate his evils in thee; for he goeth after his will, and thou shalt perish together with him through his folly.

16Make thou not chiding [or jangling] with a wrathful man, and go thou not into desert with an hardy man; for why blood, that is, shedding out of innocent blood, is as nought before him, and where none help is [or and where is not help], he shall hurtle thee down.

17Have thou not counsel with fools; for they may not love, but those things that please them.

18Make thou not a counsel before a stranger; for thou knowest not, what he shall bring forth.

19Make not thine heart known to each man [or To all men thine heart open thou not], but only to a very friend, and proved; lest peradventure he bring to thee false grace, that is, feigned friendship, and despise [or put reproof to] thee.