CHAPTER 10
1 A wise judge shall deem his people; and the princehood of a witting man shall be steadfast [or stable].
2 After the judge of the people, so and his ministers [or servants]; and what manner man is the governor of the city, such be also men dwelling therein.
3 An unwise king shall lose his people; and cities shall be inhabited by the wit of prudent men.
4 The power of earth is in the hand of God, and all the wickedness of heathen men [or the Gentiles] is abominable; and he shall raise up a profitable governor at a time on it.
5 The power of man is in the hand of God; and he shall set [or put] his honour on the face of a wise man in the law.
6 Have thou not mind on all the wrong of the neighbour; and do thou nothing in the works of wrong.
7 Pride is hateful before God and men; and all the wickedness of heathen men [or Gentiles]is abom-inable.
8 A realm is translated, either taken away, from a folk into folk for unrightfulnesses, and wrongs, and despisings, and diverse guiles [or treacheries].
9 Nothing is curseder than an avarice man. What art thou proud, thou earth and ashes? Nothing is worse, than for to love money [or Nothing is more wicked, than to love money]; for why this man hath, yea, his soul set to sale, for in his life he hath cast away his innerest [or in-ward] things.
10 Each power is short life; long sickness grieveth the leech. A leech cutteth away [or cutteth off] short sickness; so and a king is today, and tomorrow he shall die.
11 Forsooth when a man shall die, he shall inherit serpents, and beasts, and worms.
12 The beginning of pride of man was to be apostate from God; for his heart went away from him that made him.
13 For why pride is the beginning of all sin [or For the beginning of all sin is pride]; he that holdeth it, shall be filled with cursings, and it shall destroy him into the end. Therefore the Lord hath shamed the covents or convents of evil men, and hath destroyed them unto the end.
14 God destroyed the seats of proud dukes; and made mild men to sit for them.
15 God made dry the roots of proud folks; and planted meek men of those folks.
16 The Lord destroyed the lands of folks; and lost those [or destroyed them] unto the foundament.
17 He made dry the roots of them, and lost them; and made the mind of them to cease from the earth. God lost the mind of proud men; and left the mind of meek men in wit.
18 Pride was not made to men; neither wrathfulness to the nation of women, that is, to all men born of women.
19 This seed of men that dreadeth God, shall be honoured; but this seed shall be dishonoured, that over-passeth the commandments of the Lord.
20 In the midst of brethren the governor of them is in honour; and they that dread God, shall be in his eyes, that is, shall be honourable, and please him.
21 (This verse is omitted in the original text.)
22 The glory of rich men honoured and of poor men is the dread of God.
23 Do not thou despise a just [or rightwise] poor man; and do not thou magnify a rich sinful man.
24 The judge is great, and he is mighty in honour; and he is not greater than that man that dreadeth God.
25 Free children serve a witting servant; and a prudent man and learned shall not grutch, when he is blamed [or chastised], and an un-knowing man shall not be honored.
26 Do not thou enhance thee in thy work to be done; and do not thou be slow [or despair] in the time of anguish.
27 He is better that worketh, and hath plenty [or aboundeth] in all things, than he that hath glory, and needeth bread.
28 Son, keep thy soul in mildness, that holdeth due measure, and re-fraineth excess; and give thou honour to it, after his merit.
29 Who shall justify him that sinneth against his soul? and who shall honour him that dishonoureth his soul?
30 A poor man hath glory by his learning and dread; and there is a man that is honoured for his chattel [or substance].
31 Forsooth if a man hath glory in poverty, how much more in chattel? and he that hath glory in chattel, dread poverty. [Who forsooth glorieth in poorness, how much more in substance? and who glorieth in substance, poorness shameth.]