CHAPTER 23
1 Lord, Father, and lordly governor of my life, forsake thou me not in the thought [or the thinking] and (the) counsel of them, that is, of fools and unfaithful men; neither suffer (or allow) thou me to fall in that shame.
2 Who setteth above in my thought(s) beatings, and in mine heart the teaching of wisdom, that in the uncunnings, (or unknowings, or ignorances) of them he spare not me, and that the trespasses of them appear not? [Who putteth upon in my thinking scourges, and in mine heart doctrine of wisdom, that to the unknowings of them he spare not to me, and appear not the guilts of them?]
3 Lest mine uncunnings, (or my unknowings, or ignorances) increase, and my trespasses be multiplied, and my sins be plenteous [or abound]; and lest I fall in the sight of mine adversaries, and mine enemy have joy.
4 Lord, Father, and God of my life, forsake thou not me in the thought(s) of them. Give thou not to me enhancing of mine eyes, yea, suffer not (or do not allow) that pride be lord over me;
5 and turn thou away from me all shrewd (or depraved) desire.
6 Do thou away from me the covetousnesses of the womb, and the covetousnesses of lechery [or of lust] take me not; and give thou not me (over)(in)to a soul unreverent and undiscreet or unsavoury.
7 Sons, hear ye the teaching of (the) mouth; and he that keepeth it, shall not perish by his lips, neither shall be caused to stumble in worst works.
8 A sinner and proud man shall be taken [or caught] in his vanity; and a cursed man shall be caused to stumble in those [or in them].
9 Thy mouth be not customable (or accustomed) to swearing; for why many fallings be therein. [To swearing use not thy mouth; many forsooth fallings be in it.]
10 Forsooth the naming of God be not customable [or continual] in thy mouth, and be thou not meddled to, [or mingled, (or mixed with)] the names of saints; for thou shalt not be guiltless of them.
11 For as a servant that is asked busily, shall not want (or lack) wan-ness, [or envy]; so each man swearing and naming shall not be purged of sin in all. A man swearing much shall be filled with wickedness; and venge-ance shall not go away from his house. And if he deceiveth a brother, his trespass shall be above [or upon] him; and if he feigneth, he shall trespass doubly [or double]. And if he sweareth in vain, he shall not be justified; for why his house shall be filled with worst yielding.
12 Also again-ward another speech is into death; be it not found in the heritage of Jacob. For why all these things shall be done away from merciful men; and they shall not delight in trespasses.
13 Thy mouth be not customable (or accustomed) to unreverent speech; for why a word of sin is in it. [To the undisciplined speech use not thy mouth; forsooth there is in it the word of sin.]
14 Have thou mind on (or Think upon) thy father and mother; for (or when) thou standest in the midst of great men. Lest peradventure God forget thee in the sight of them; and lest thou made a fool by thus customableness [or busyness], suffer shame, either scorning, [or reproof], and haddest rather to be not born, and curse the day of thy birth.
15 A man customable in (or accustomed to using) the words of shame [or reproof], in all (his) days shall not be taught.
16 Two kinds be plenteous [or abound] in sins, and the third bring-eth ire and perdition. An hot soul burn-ing as fire shall not be quenched, till it swallow something; and a wicked man in the mouth of his flesh shall not fail, till he kindle (a) fire.
17 Each bread is sweet to a lecher-ous man; he shall not be made weary, trespassing till to the end.
18 Each man that passeth [or that over-goeth] his bed, doeth despite against his soul, and saith, Who seeth me? Darknesses (en)compass me, and (the) walls cover me, and no man behold-eth me. Whom dread I? The Highest shall not have mind on my sins.
19 And he understandeth not, that the eye of him, that is, of God, seeth all things; for why the dread of such a man putteth away from him(self) the dread of God, and the eyes of men that dread him put away from him God’s dread. And he knew not, that the eyes of the Lord be much more clearer than the sun, and behold all the ways of men, and the depth of the sea, and they behold the hearts of men into hid parts.
20 For why all things were known to the Lord, before that they were made [or formed](out) of nought; so and after the making, he beholdeth all things.
21 This man shall be punished in the streets of the city; he shall be driven away as an horse colt, and he shall be taken [or caught], where he hopeth not. And he shall be shame to all men; for he understood not the dread of the Lord.
22 So and each woman forsaking her husband shall do sin, and ordaining heritage, that is, (an) heir of her husband, of (or by) an alien matrimony.
23 For first she was unbelieveful in the law of the Highest, and the second time she forsook her husband; and the third time she was defouled in adultery, and ordained to him sons of (or by) another man.
24 She, this woman, shall be brought into the church, and men shall behold on her sons.
25 Her sons shall not give [or take] roots, and her branches shall not give fruit.
26 They shall leave the mind (or the memory) of her into cursing, and the shame of her shall not be done away.
27 And they that be left shall know, that nothing is better than the dread of God, and nothing is sweeter than to behold in the commandments of the Lord.
28 It is great glory to pursue [or to follow] the Lord; for why length of days shall be taken of (or received from) him.