CHAPTER 37
1 Each friend shall say, And I have coupled friendship; but that [or there] is a friend, a friend by name alone.
2 Whether sorrow is not till to death? Forsooth a fellow of (the) table and a friend shall be turned to enmity.
3 A! the worst [or O! most shrewd (or depraved)] presumption, whereof art thou made to cover dry malice, and the guilefulness thereof [or the treachery of it]?
4 A fellow of (the) table shall be merry with a friend in delightings, and in the day of tribulation he shall be (an) adversary.
5 A fellow of (the) table shall have sorrow with a friend, for cause [or because] of the womb (or the belly); and he shall take (up a) shield against an enemy.
6 Forget thou not thy friend in thy soul, and be thou not unmindful of him in thy works. Do not thou take counsel with the father of thy wife; and hide thou counsel from them that have envy to thee.
7 Each counsellor showeth counsel, but there is a counsellor to, [or in], (or only for) himself.
8 Keep thy soul from an evil counsellor; first know thou, what is his need, and what he shall think in his soul; lest peradventure he send a stake, [or he put a pole, or a pale] into the earth,
9 and say to thee, Thy way is good, and (then) he stand again-ward, to see what shall befall to thee.
10 With an unreligious man, treat thou*(not) of (or about) holiness, and with an unjust [or unrightwise] man, (not) of (or about) rightfulness [or rightwiseness]†,
11 and with a woman, (not) of (or about) these things which she hateth [or envieth]. With a fearedful man, treat thou (not) of (or about) battle, with a merchant, (not) of (or about) carrying over of merchandises to chapping[or (about)(ex)changing]; with a buyer, (not) of (or about) selling, with an envious man, (not) of (or about) graces to be done; with an unpiteous man, (not) of (or about) pity, with an unhonest man, (not) of (or about) honesty, with a workman of the field [or the field worker], (not) of (or about) each work; with a work-man hired by the year [or the annual worker], (not) of (or about) the ending of the year, with a slow servant, (not) of (or about) much working. Give thou not attention [or Take thou not heed] to these men in all counsel,
12 but be thou busy with an holy man, whomever thou knowest (is) keeping God’s dread, whose soul is after thy soul. Whoever doubteth in darknesses, shall not have sorrow with thee.
13 And establish thou the heart of good counsel with thee; for why another thing is not more than it (is) to thee.
14 The soul of an holy man telleth out truths sometime; more than seven beholders [or lookers about], sitting on high for to behold.
15 And in all these things beseech thou the Highest, that he (ad)dress (or direct) thy way in truth.
16 Before all works a soothfast (or a true) word go before thee; and a stead-fast counsel go before each deed.
17 A wicked, [or shrewd, (or de-praved)] word shall change the heart,
18 of which heart four parts come forth; good and evil, life and death; and a busy tongue is lord of those.
19 A wise man hath taught many men, and (or but) he is (not) sweet to his (own) soul.
20 He that speaketh sophistically, either by sophism, is hateful; he shall be defrauded in each thing.
21 For why grace is not given of (or from) the Lord to him, for he is defrauded of all wisdom.
22 A wise man is wise to his (own) soul, and the fruits of his wit be worthy to be praised.
23 A wise man teacheth his people, and the fruits of his wit be faithful.
24 A wise man shall be filled with blessings, and they that see him shall praise him.
25 The life of a man is in the number of days; but the days of Israel be unnumberable.
26 A wise man in the people shall inherit honour, and his name shall be living without end.
27 Son, assay thy soul in thy life; and if it is wicked, give thou not power to it;
28 for why not all things speed to (or be expedient for) all men, and not each kind pleaseth each soul.
29 Do not thou be greedy in each eating, and shed thou not out thee [or pour thee not out] [up] on each meat.
30 For in many meats shall be sickness, and greediness shall nigh unto choler.
31 Many men died for (or from) gluttony; but he that is abstinent, shall increase [or add (to)](his) life.
* CHAPTER 37:10 The author of this book speaketh here (and also in verse 11 below) in scorn, and understandeth the contrary of his saying. † CHAPTER 37:10 In verse 12 of the Early Version, but not in the Later Version, the following sentence appears: Do thou not counsel with him that hath thee suspect, and from men envying to thee, hide thou thy counsel. See verse 10 of the KJV.