14
1 Blessed is the man that hath not slipped with his mouth,
And is not pricked with sorrow for sins.
2 Blessed is he whose soul doth not condemn him,
And who is not fallen from his hope.
3 Riches are not comely for a niggard;
And what should an envious man do with money?
4 He that gathereth by taking from his own soul gathereth for others;
And others shall revel in his goods.
5 He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good?
And he shall not rejoice in his possessions.
6 There is none more evil than he that envieth himself;
And this is a recompense of his wickedness.
7 Even if he doeth good, he doeth it in forgetfulness;
And at the last he sheweth forth his wickedness.
8 Evil is he that envieth with his eye,
Turning away the face, and despising the souls of men.
9 A covetous man’s eye is not satisfied with his portion;
And wicked injustice drieth up his soul.
10 An evil eye is grudging of bread,
And he is miserly at his table
11 My son, according as thou hast, do well unto thyself,
And bring offerings unto the Lord worthily.
12 Remember that death will not tarry,
And that the covenant of * the grave is not shewed unto thee.
13 Do well unto thy friend before thou die;
And according to thy ability stretch out thy hand and give to him.
14 Defraud not thyself of a good day;
And let not the portion of a good desire pass thee by.
15 Shalt thou not leave thy labours unto another?
And thy toils to be divided by lot?
16 Give, and take, and beguile thy soul;
For there is no seeking of luxury in † the grave.
17 All flesh waxeth old as a garment;
For the covenant from the beginning is, Thou shalt die the death.
18 As of the leaves flourishing on a thick tree,
Some it sheddeth, and some it maketh to grow;
So also of the generations of flesh and blood,
One cometh to an end, and another is born.
19 Every work rotteth and falleth away,
And the worker thereof shall depart with it.
20 Blessed is the man that shall ‡ meditate in wisdom,
And that shall discourse by his understanding.
21 He that considereth her ways in his heart
Shall also have knowledge in her secrets.
22 Go forth after her as one that tracketh,
And lie in wait in her ways.
23 He that prieth in at her windows
Shall also hearken at her doors.
24 He that lodgeth close to her house
Shall also fasten a nail in her walls.
25 He shall pitch his tent nigh at hand to her,
And shall lodge in a lodging where good things are.
26 He shall set his children under her shelter,
And shall rest under her branches.
27 By her he shall be covered from heat,
And shall lodge in her glory.
* 14:12 Gr. Hades. † 14:16 Gr. Hades. ‡ 14:20 Most authorities read come to an end.