1He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith; and he that hath fellowship with a proud man shall be like unto him.

2Burden not thyself above thy power while thou livest; and have no fellowship with one that is mightier and richer than thyself: for how agree the kettle and the earthen pot together? for if the one be smitten against the other, it shall be broken.

3The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he threateneth withal: the poor is wronged, and he must intreat also.

4If thou be for his profit, he will use thee: but if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.

5If thou have any thing, he will live with thee: yea, he will make thee bare, and will not be sorry for it.

6If he have need of thee, he will deceive thee, and smile upon thee, and put thee in hope; he will speak thee fair, and say, What wantest thou?

7And he will shame thee by his meats, until he have drawn thee dry twice or thrice, and at the last he will laugh thee to scorn afterward, when he seeth thee, he will forsake thee, and shake his head at thee.

8Beware that thou be not deceived and brought down in thy jollity.

9If thou be invited of a mighty man, withdraw thyself, and so much the more will he invite thee.

10Press thou not upon him, lest thou be put back; stand not far off, lest thou be forgotten.

11Affect not to be made equal unto him in talk, and believe not his many words: for with much communication will he tempt thee, and smiling upon thee will get out thy secrets:

12But cruelly he will lay up thy words, and will not spare to do thee hurt, and to put thee in prison.

13Observe, and take good heed, for thou walkest in peril of thy overthrowing: when thou hearest these things, awake in thy sleep.

14Love the Lord all thy life, and call upon him for thy salvation.

15Every beast loveth his like, and every man loveth his neighbor.

16All flesh consorteth according to kind, and a man will cleave to his like.

17What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb? so the sinner with the godly.

18What agreement is there between the hyena and a dog? and what peace between the rich and the poor?

19As the wild ass is the lion’s prey in the wilderness: so the rich eat up the poor.

20As the proud hate humility: so doth the rich abhor the poor.

21A rich man beginning to fall is held up of his friends: but a poor man being down is thrust away by his friends.

22When a rich man is fallen, he hath many helpers: he speaketh things not to be spoken, and yet men justify him: the poor man slipped, and yet they rebuked him too; he spake wisely, and could have no place.

23When a rich man speaketh, every man holdeth his tongue, and, look, what he saith, they extol it to the clouds: but if the poor man speak, they say, What fellow is this? and if he stumble, they will help to overthrow him.

24Riches are good unto him that hath no sin, and poverty is evil in the mouth of the ungodly.

25The heart of a man changeth his countenance, whether it be for good or evil: and a merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.

26A cheerful countenance is a token of a heart that is in prosperity; and the finding out of parables is a wearisome labour of the mind.