1Set not thy heart upon thy goods;
And say not, They are sufficient for me.

2Follow not thine own mind and thy strength,
To walk in the desires of thy heart;

3And say not, Who shall have dominion over me?
For the Lord will surely take vengeance on thee.

4Say not, I sinned, and what happened unto me?
For the Lord is longsuffering. ²³

5Concerning atonement, be not without fear,
To add sin upon sins:

6And say not, His compassion is great;
He will be pacified for the multitude of my sins:
For mercy and wrath are with him,
And his indignation will rest upon sinners.

7Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord;
And put not off from day to day:
For suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord come forth; ²⁴
And thou shalt perish in the time of vengeance.

8Set not thine heart upon unrighteous gains:
For thou shalt profit nothing in the day of calamity.

9Winnow not with every wind,
And walk not in every path:
Thus doeth the sinner that hath a double tongue.

10Be stedfast in thy understanding;
And let thy word be one.

11Be swift to hear; ²⁵
And with patience make thine answer.

12If thou hast understanding, answer thy neighbour;
And if not, let thy hand be upon thy mouth.

13Glory and dishonour is in talk:
And the tongue of a man is his fall.

14Be not called a whisperer;
And lie not in wait with thy tongue:
For upon the thief there is shame,
And an evil condemnation upon him that hath a double tongue.

15In a great matter and in a small, be not ignorant;