CHAPTER 8
1 Chide [or Strive] thou not with a mighty man, lest thou fall into his hands.
2 Strive thou not with a rich man, lest peradventure he make play again-ward to thee [or lest again-ward he set strife to thee]. For why gold and silver hath lost many men; and it stretcheth forth till to the heart[s] of kings, and turneth them.
3 Chide [or Strive] thou not with a man, a jangler [or a tonguey man], and lay thou not trees into his fire.
4 Commune thou not with an untaught man, lest he speak evil of thy kindred.
5 Despise thou not a man turning away himself from sin, neither up-braid thou him [nor put thou reproof to him]; have thou mind, that all we be in corruption.
6 Despise thou not a man in his eld age; for why some of us men wax eld [or old].
7 Do not thou make joy of thine enemy being dead, witting that all we die, and will not to come into joy of our enemies.
8 Despise thou not the telling of wise priests, and be thou conversant in the proverbs of them [or in the proverbs of them altogether dwell thou]; for of them thou shalt learn wisdom, and teaching of understand-ing, and to serve without complaint to great men.
9 The telling of elder men pass not by thee [or Pass not beside thee the telling of elders]; for they have learned of their fathers. For of them thou shalt learn understanding; and in the time of need thou shalt give [an] answer.
10 Kindle thou not the coals of sinners, and reprove them; and be thou not burnt with the flame of [the] fire of their sins.
11 Stand thou not against the face of a man full of despising [or the face of the strifeful]; lest he sit as an espyer to thy mouth.
12 Do not thou lend to a man stronger than thou; that if thou hast lent, have thou it as lost.
13 Promise thou not above [or over] thy power or virtue; that if thou hast promised, bethink thou as yielding, for thou art holden to do thy might.
14 Deem thou not against a judge; for he deemeth after that, that is just.
15 Go thou not in the way with an hardy man, lest peradventure he aggregate his evils in thee; for he goeth after his will, and thou shalt perish together with him through his folly.
16 Make thou not chiding [or jangling] with a wrathful man, and go thou not into desert with an hardy man; for why blood, that is, shedding out of innocent blood, is as nought before him, and where none help is [or and where is not help], he shall hurtle thee down.
17 Have thou not counsel with fools; for they may not love, but those things that please them.
18 Make thou not a counsel before a stranger; for thou knowest not, what he shall bring forth.
19 Make not thine heart known to each man [or To all men thine heart open thou not], but only to a very friend, and proved; lest peradventure he bring to thee false grace, that is, feigned friendship, and despise [or put reproof to] thee.