18 He that liveth without beginning and end, made (out) of nought all things together;
2 God alone shall be justified,
3 and he dwelleth a King unovercome without end. [and dwelleth unvanquished king without end.]
4 Who shall suffice to tell out his works? for why who shall seek (out) the great things of him? [Who shall suffice to tell out the works of him? who shall ensearch the great worthy things of him?]
5 But who shall tell out the virtue (or the strength) of his greatness? either [or] who shall lay to for to tell out his mercy?
6 It is not to make less, neither to lay to; neither it is to find the great things of God. [There is not to lessen, nor to add; nor there is to find the great worthy things of God.]
7 When a man hath ended, then he shall begin [or then he beginneth]; and when he hath rested, (then) he shall work.
8 What is a man, and what is the glory of him? and what is good, either [or] what is the wicked thing of him?
9 The number of the days of men, that be commonly an hundred years, [The number of the days of men, as much (as) an hundred years,]
10 be areckoned as the drops of the water of the sea; and as the stone (or as a stone) of gravel, so a few years in the day of everlastingness. [as drops of the water of the sea they be ordained; and as a little stone of gravel, so few years in the day of the spiritual world.]
11 For this thing God is patient in (or with) them, and sheddeth out on them his mercy. [For that patient is God in them, and he shall pour out upon them his mercy.]
12 He saw the presumption, [or pride], of their heart, for it was evil; and he knew the destroying of them, for it was wicked, [or shrewd, (or depraved)]. Therefore he filled his mercy in them, and showed to them the way of equity.
13 The merciful doing of man is about his neighbour; but the mercy of the Lord is over each flesh. He that hath mercy, and teacheth, and chastiseth as a shepherd his flock, [The mercy doing of man about his neighbour; the mercy forsooth of the Lord upon all flesh. He that hath mercy, and learneth, and teacheth, as a shepherd his flock,]
14 do he mercy, taking the teaching of merciful doing; and he that hast(en)eth in the dooms thereof. [have he mercy, taking out doctrine of mercy doing; and that hie in the dooms of him.]
15 Son, in goods give thou not (com)plaint, and in (or with) each gift give thou not heaviness of an evil word. [Son, in good things give thou not (com)plaint, and in all gift give thou not sorrowy sloth, or heaviness, of an evil word.]
16 Whether dew shall not cool heat? so and a word is better than (a) gift.
17 Lo! whether a word is not above a good gift? but ever either is with a man justified. [Lo! whether not a word over a good gift? but either with a justified man.]
18 A fool shall upbraid sharply [or The fool sharply shall give reproof]; and the gift of an untaught man maketh (the) eyes to fail.
19 Before the doom make thou ready rightfulness to thee; and learn thou, before that thou speak. Before sickness give thou medicine [or Before sickness take medicine];
20 and before the doom ask thyself, and thou shalt find mercy in the sight of God. [and before the doom ask thou thyself, and in the sight of God thou shalt find mercy.]
21 Before sickness make thee meek, and in the time of sickness show thy living. [Before sickness meek thee, and in the time of infirmity show thou thy conversation, or living.]
22 Be thou not hindered to pray ever(more), and dread thou not to be justified till to death; for why the meed of God dwelleth without end. [Be thou not letted to pray evermore, and dread thou not unto the dead to be justified; for the meed of God dwelleth into without end.]
23 Before prayer make ready [or prepare] thy soul; and do not thou be as a man that tempteth God, that is, that a man betake himself to peril, and believe that that he may do reasonably, and (then) abide to be delivered of (or by) God.
24 Have thou mind of (or remember) (the) ire in the day of ending; and make thou in living the time of yielding. [Have mind of wrath in the day of ending; and time of yielding in conversation thou shalt make.]
25 Have thou mind of (or remember) poverty in the day of abundance; and the need of poverty in the time of riches. [Have mind of poverty in the time of plenty; and the need of poverty in the day of riches.]
26 From the morrowtide unto the eventide the time shall be changed; and all these things be swift in the eyes of God. [From the early unto even the time shall be changed; and all these things hasted in the eyes of God.]
27 A wise man shall dread in all things; and in the days of trespasses he shall flee from uncunning (or unknowing), either sloth.
28 Each fell, [or witty, (or witting)] man, that is, attentive to eschew evils, by God’s dread, knoweth wisdom; and to him that findeth it, he shall give acknowledging (to it).
29 Witty (or Witting, or knowing) men in words also they did wisely, and understood truth, and rightfulness; and besought proverbs and dooms.
30 Go thou not after thy covetousnesses; and be thou turned away from thy will. [After thy lusts go thou not; and from thy will turn thee away.]
31 If thou givest to thy soul the covetousnesses thereof [or If thou give to thy soul his lusts], it shall make thee into joy to thine enemies.
32 Delight thou not in companies, neither in little companies; for why the sinning of them is continual. [Not delight thou in companies, nor in small things; soothly the trespassing of them is continual.]
33 Be thou not mean in the striving of love, and something is (not) to thee in the bag; for why thou shalt be envious to thy soul. [Not be thou mean in the strife (or in the striving) for money, and there is not to thee nothing in the world; forsooth thou shalt be envious to thy soul.]