1Ye that deem the earth, love rightfulness; feel ye of the Lord in goodness, and seek ye him in the simpleness of heart. [Love ye right-wiseness, that deem the earth; feeleth of the Lord in goodness, and in simpleness of heart seeketh him.]

2For he is found of them, that tempt not him [or that tempt him not]; for-sooth he appeareth to them, that have faith into him. (For he is found by those, who do not test him; he appeareth to those, who have faith in him.)

3For why wayward thoughts part [or sever](one) from God; but proved virtue reproveth unwise men.

4For why wisdom shall not enter into an evil-willed soul; neither it shall dwell in a body subject to sins. [For into an evil-willing soul shall not go in wisdom; nor shall dwell in a body subject to sins.]

5Forsooth the Holy Ghost of wisdom shall fly or flee away from a feigned man, and he shall take away himself from thoughts, that be with-out understanding; and the unwise man shall be punished of (or by) wick-edness coming above (or upon him). [An holy spirit forsooth shall flee the feigner, or the feigned thing, of dis-cipline, and shall take himself away from thoughts, that be without under-standing; and he shall be chastised from the overcoming wickedness.]

6For the spirit of wisdom is benign, and he shall not deliver a cursed man from his lips; for why God is witness of his reins, and the searcher of his heart is true, and the hearer of his tongue.

7For why the Spirit of the Lord hath filled the world; and this thing, that containeth all things, hath the cun-ning (or the knowing) of (the) voice.

8Therefore this he that speaketh wicked thing [or For that he that speaketh wicked things], may not be hid; and doom and punishing shall not pass (by) him.

9For why asking shall be in the thoughts of a wicked man [or the unpious]. Forsooth the hearing of his words shall come to God, and to the punishing [or the correction] of his wickednesses;

10for the ear of fervent love heareth all things [or for the ear of the jealous heareth all things], and the noise of grutchings (or of grumblings) shall not be hid.

11Therefore keep ye you from grutch-ing (or from grumbling), that profiteth nothing, and from back-biting spare ye the tongue; for a dark word shall not go into vain; forsooth the mouth that lieth, slayeth the soul.

12Do not ye covet death, in the error of your life, neither get ye perdition in (or with) the works of your hands;

13for God made not death, neither he is glad in the perdition of living men.

14For why God made (out) of nought all things [or Forsooth God made, that all things were], that those should be; and he made the nations of the world able to be healed. For why medicine of destroying is not in those men, neither the realm of hells [or of hell] is in (the) earth.

15For rightfulness is everlasting, and undeadly (or immortal); but unrightful-ness is(the) getting of death. [Right-wiseness forsooth is perpetual, and undeadly; unrightwiseness forsooth purchasing of death.]

16Forsooth wicked [or unpious] men called that unrightfulness by hands and words, and they guessed [or esteemed] it a friend, and floated away, and they putted promises to it; for they be worthy (of) the death, that be of the part thereof.