27 Many men have trespassed for neediness [or for mis-ease]; and he that seeketh to be made rich, turneth away his eye.
2 As a stake is fastened in the midst of a heap of stones, so and a man shall be anguished by sins betwixt the midst of selling and buying. Trespass shall be all-broken with him that trespasseth. [As in the middle of a joining of stones a pale, or a stake, fixed is, so between the middle of buying and selling he shall be anguished with sins. He shall be treaded with guilting guilt.]
3 If thou holdest not thee diligently in the dread of the Lord, thine house shall soon be turned up-side down.
4 As dust shall dwell in the holes of a riddle, so the anguish of a man shall dwell in the thought(s) of him. [As in the smiting of a sieve shall abide still powder, so the poorness of a man in the thinking of him.]
5 A furnace proveth the vessels of a potter; and the temptation of tribulation proveth just [or rightwise] men.
6 As churl-like travail about a tree showeth the fruit thereof, so a word of thought showeth the heart of man. [As the earth-working of a tree showeth the fruit of him, so a word of thinking the heart of a man.]
7 Praise thou not a man before a word fully ended; for why this is the temptation, that is, (the) proving, of men.
8 If thou (pur)suest rightfulness, thou shalt take it; thou shalt clothe it as a long cloth, (or a cloak), of honour, and thou shalt dwell with it, and it shall defend thee without end, and in the day of knowing thou shalt find steadfastness. [If thou followest rightwiseness, thou shalt take it; and thou shalt clothe it as an aube of worship, and thou shalt dwell with it, and it shall defend thee into evermore, and in the day of acknowledging thou shalt find (stead)fastening.]
9 Volatiles [or Fowls] come together to birds like themselves; and truth shall (re)turn again to them that work it.
10 A(s) (a) lion setteth espies (for)ever(more) to hunting; so sins to them that work wickedness. [A lion to hunting waiteth (or lieth in wait) (for)evermore; so sins to men working wickedness.]
11 An holy man dwelleth in wisdom, as the sun dwelleth; for why a fool is changed as the moon. [An holy man in wisdom dwelleth, as the sun; for the fool as the moon is changed.]
12 In the midst of unwise men keep thou a word to (the) time; but be thou busy in the midst of them that think (upon) the law of God.
13 The telling of sinners is hateful; and the laughing of them is in the trespasses of sin.
14 Speech swearing much shall make (for) standing up of hairs, for astoning (or astonishing), to the head; and unreverence thereof is stopping of (the) ears. [The much swearing speech shall set standing of hair, for far, to the head; and irreverence of it in stopping of ears.]
15 The shedding out of blood is in the chiding [or jangling] of proud men; and the cursing of them is grievous hearing, for in their chiding they blaspheme God often, and it is full grievous to faithful ears to hear such blasphemy of God.
16 He that showeth openly the privates (or the secrets) of a friend, loseth (or destroyeth) faithfulness; and he shall not find a friend to his soul. [Who nakeneth privates, loseth the faith of a friend; and he findeth not a friend to his inwit.]
17 Love thou a neighbour, and be thou joined with him in faith. For (or But) if thou showest openly the privates (or the secrets) of him, thou shalt not perfectly (pur)sue after him. [Love a neighbour, and be thou joined in faith with him. That if thou shall make naked the hid things of him, pursue thou not after him.]
18 For as a man that loseth his friend, so he that loseth the friendship of his neighbour.
19 And as a man that letteth go a bird from his hand [or And as he that letteth (go) a bird out of his hand], so thou that hast forsaken thy neighbour, and thou shalt not take him (or get him again).
20 Thou shalt not (pur)sue him, for he is far absent; for he escaped as a capret from a snare, for the soul of him is wounded. [Thou shalt not follow him, for far he is away; forsooth he flew out as a capret from the grin, for wounded is the soul of him.]
21 Thou shalt no more be able to bind him together; but of (or after) evil saying is according. Soothly to show openly the privates (or the secrets) of a friend, is despair of a soul unblessed. [Thou shalt not be able to moreover bind him together; but of the cursed is according together. To make naked forsooth the privates of a friend, is the despairing of the unfaithful soul.]
22 He that twinkleth with the eye, maketh [or forgeth] wicked things; and no man shall cast him away.
23 In the sight of thine eyes he shall defoul his mouth, and he shall wonder on thy words; but at the last he shall turn waywardly his mouth, and in his word he shall give slander. [In the sight of thine eyes he shall defoul thy mouth, and upon thy words he shall wonder; at the last he shall pervert his mouth, and in (or regarding) thy words he shall give slander.]
24 I (have) heard many things, that is, evils, and I made (them) not even to him, yea, I areckoned not another malice even to the malice of this man; and the Lord shall hate him. [Many things I have heard, and I have not evened to him; and the Lord shall hate him.]
25 If a man casteth a stone on high, it shall fall on his (own) head; and the guileful wound of a guileful man shall part wounds. [Who into high sendeth a stone, upon his head it shall fall; and the wound of the treacherous shall divide wounds.]
26 And he that diggeth a ditch, shall fall into it; and he that setteth a stone to a neighbour, shall offend therein [or shall stumble in it]; and he that setteth a snare to another man, shall perish therein.
27 If a man maketh worst [or wicked] counsel, it shall be turned [up]on him; and he shall not know from whence it shall come to him.
28 The scorning and despising of proud men and vengeance shall set espy to him, as a lion doeth. [Illusion, or scorn, and reproof of proud men and vengeance, as a lion, shall espy to him.]
29 They that delight in the fall of just [or of rightwise] men, shall perish by a snare; forsooth sorrow shall waste them, before that [or ere] they die.
30 Ire [or Wrath] and madness or rage, ever either be abominable; and a sinful man shall hold those [or them].