1A slow man is astonied in a stone of clay; and all men shall speak on [or of] the [great] despising of him.

2A slow man is astonied of the dung of oxes [or the drit of oxen]; and each man that toucheth him, shall shake the hands.

3The shame of a father is of a son unlearned; but a fond [or foolish] daughter shall be in decreasing of the honour of father and mother.

4A prudent daughter is heritage to her husband; for she that shameth her husband, is in despising [or reproof] of the father.

5A bold woman, that is, shame-less, shameth the father and husband, and shall not be made less than unfaithful men; forsooth she shall not be honoured of ever either.

6Melody in mourning is uncoven-able telling; beatings and teaching, [or scourges and doctrine], in all time with wisdom.

7He that teacheth a fool, as he that glueth together a tilestone [or shard]. He that telleth a word to him that heareth not, is as he that raiseth a man sleeping from a grievous [or heavy] sleep.

8He that telleth wisdom to a fool, speaketh with a man sleeping; and in the end of the telling he shall say, Who is this?

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

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

11Weep thou on a dead man, for why his light failed [or the light of him failed]; and weep thou on a fool, for he failed of wit. Weep thou a little on a dead man, for he hath rested. Forsooth the life of a full wicked man is full wicked, more than the death of a fool.

12The mourning of a dead man is seven days; but the mourning of a fool and of a wicked man [or the unpious]is all the days of their life.

13Speak thou not much with a fool, and go thou not with an unwise man. Keep thee from him, that thou have not dis-ease [or grief]; and thou shalt not be defouled in the sin of him. Bow thou away from him, and thou shalt find rest; and be thou not annoyed by his folly.

14What shall be made heavier than lead? and what other name than a fool is to it? [or what other name to him than a fool?]

15It is lighter to bear gravel, and salt, and a gobbet of iron, than a man unprudent [or an imprudent man], and a fool, and unfaithful.

16As an heap [or joining] of trees, bound together in the foundament of the building, shall not be unbound [or unloosed], so and an heart confirmed in the thought of counsel.

17The thought of a wise man shall not be made shrewd in any time, neither dreaded.

18As chaffs in high places, and sand without meddling of him [or mortar without due cost], set against the face of the wind, shall not dwell; so and a dreadful heart in the thought [or the thinking] of a fool against-standeth not against the fierceness of dread. As adorning, either pargeting, full of gravel in a clear wall, so and a fearedful heart in the thought of a fool [or so the trembling heart in the thinking of a fool] shall not dread in any time; so and he that dwelleth ever[more] in the behests of God.

19He that pricketh the eye, shall lead out tears; and he that pricketh the heart, bringeth forth wit.

20He that casteth a stone to birds, shall cast down those [or them]; so and he that doeth wrong [or putteth reproof] to a friend, departeth friend-ship.

21Though thou bringest forth a sword to a friend, despair thou not; for there is going again to the friend.

22If he openeth a sorrowful [or a dreary] mouth, dread thou not; for why there is according, except for despising, and shame, and pride, and showing [or opening] of privates, and a treacherous wound; in all these things a friend shall fly [or flee] away.

23Have thou faith with a friend in his poverty, that thou be glad also in his goods. In the time of his trib-ulations, dwell thou faithful to him [or abide still to him faithful], that also thou be even-heir in the heritage of him.

24Heat and smoke of fire is made high before the fire of a chimney; so and cursings [or curses], and des-pisings [or wrongs], and menaces [threats], come before blood.

25I shall not be ashamed for to greet [or to salute] a friend, and I shall not hide me from his face;

26though [or if] evils come to me by him, I shall suffer. Each man that shall hear, shall keep warily [or shun] him-self from him.

27Who shall give keeping [or ward] to my mouth, and a certain sealing on my lips, that I fall not by those [or them], and that my tongue lose not me?