38 Honour thou a leech (or Honour a physician), for need; for why the Highest hath made [or formed] him.
2 For why all medicine is of (or from) God; and he shall take of the king (or he shall receive from the king) a gift. [Of God forsooth is all leeching; and from the king he shall take giving.]
3 The cunning of a leech shall enhance his head (The knowledge of a physician shall exalt, or shall lift up, his head); and he shall be praised in the sight of great men. [The discipline of the leech shall enhance the head of him; and in the sight of great men he shall be praised.]
4 The Highest hath made (out) of the earth medicine; and a prudent man shall not loathe it. [The Highest formed of the earth medicine; and the prudent man shall not greatly fear it.]
5 Whether bitter water was not made sweet of (or by) a tree? The virtue of those things came by experience to the knowing of men;
6 and the Highest gave cunning (or knowing) to men, for to be honoured in his marvels.
7 A man healing in (or with) these things, shall assuage sorrow, [In these things he curing, shall assuage sorrow,]
8 and an ointment-maker shall make pigments of sweetness, and shall make anointings of health; and his works shall not be ended. For why the peace of God is on the face of (the) earth.
9 My son, despise not thyself in thy sickness; but pray thou the Lord, and he shall heal thee. [My son, in thine infirmity not despise thou thyself; but pray the Lord, and he shall cure thee.]
10 Turn thou away from sin, and (ad)dress (or direct) thine hands, and cleanse thine heart from all sin.
11 Give thou sweetness, and the mind (or a memorial) of clean [or tried] flour of wheat, and make thou (a) fat offering;
12 and give thou place to a leech (or to a physician). For the Lord made him, and depart he not from thee; for his works be needful to thee. [and give stead to the leech. Forsooth the Lord formed him, and go he not away from thee; for his works be needful.]
13 For why time is, when thou shalt fall into the hands of them. [There is forsooth time, when thou run into the hands of them.]
14 Forsooth they shall beseech the Lord, that he (ad)dress, (or direct), [or right rule] the work of them, and health for their living.
15 He that trespasseth in the sight of him, that made him, shall fall into the hands of the leech (or the physician).
16 Son, bring thou forth tears on (or over) a dead man, and thou as suffering hard things begin to weep; and by [or after] doom, (or according to custom), cover thou the body of him, and despise thou not his burying.
17 But for backbiting, bear thou bitterly the mourning of him (for) one day; and be thou comforted for sorrow. And make thou mourning after his merit (for) one day, either twain, for backbiting. [For the accusing forsooth bitterly bear wailing of him one day; and take comfort for heaviness. And do wailing after the deserving of him one day, or two, for backbiting.]
18 For why death hast(en)eth of (or from) sorrow, and covereth virtue (or strength); and the sorrow of heart boweth the head. [Of sorrowy sloth forsooth hieth death, and covereth virtue; and sorrowy sloth of heart boweth the noll.]
19 Sorrow dwelleth in leading away; and the chattel of a needy man is after his heart. [In leading away dwelleth still sorrowy sloth; and the substance of the helpless after the heart of him.]
20 Give thou not thine heart in sorrow [or in sorrowy sloth], but put it away from thee; and have thou mind on the last things,
21 and do not thou forget. For why no (re)turning is, and thou shalt nothing profit to this dead man; and thou shalt harm worst thyself. [and do thou not forget. Not forsooth there is conversation, and to this thou shalt nothing profit; and thyself thou shalt worst treat.]
22 Be thou mindful of my doom, [or Mindful be thou of my doom], (or Remember my judgement); for also thine shall be thus, to me yesterday, and to thee today.
23 In the rest of a dead man, make thou his mind (or his memory) to have rest; and comfort thou him, in the going out of his spirit. [In the rest of the dead make to rest the mind of him; and comfort him in the going out of his spirit.]
24 Write thou wisdom in the time of voidness; and he that is made less in (doing) deeds, shall perceive wisdom; for he shall be filled of wisdom. [Wisdom write in time of voidness; and who is less(en)ed in deeds, wisdom shall perceive (or shall perceive wisdom); for with wisdom he shall be full-filled.]
25 He that holdeth the plow (or the plough), and he that hath glory in a goad, driveth oxes with a prick, and he liveth in the works of those; and his telling is in the sons of bulls. [Who holdeth the plow, and who glorieth in the spear, with the prick stirreth the oxen, and dwelleth in the works of them; and the telling of him in the sons of bulls.]
26 He shall give his heart to turn furrows; and his waking shall be about the fatness of (the) kine.
27 So each carpenter, and principal workman, that passeth the night as the day; that (en)graveth images graven, and the busyness of him diverseth the painture; he shall give his heart to the likeness of painture (or of painting), and by his waking he performeth the work. [So each smith, and chief worker, the which (en)graved graven broaches, and the busyness of him varieth the painture; his heart he shall give into the likeness of painture, and his waking performeth the work.]
28 So a smith sitting beside the anefelt (or the anvil), and beholding the work of iron, the heat of fire burneth his fleshes [or So the ironsmith sitting beside the stithy, and beholding the work of the iron, the humour of the fire burneth his flesh]; and he striveth in the heat of the furnace. The voice of a hammer maketh new his ear; and his eye is against (or towards) the likeness of a vessel. He shall give his heart into the performing of (the) works; and by his waking he shall adorn unperfection, that is, matter (or material) which he bringeth to perfection of form.
29 So a potter sitting at his work, turning a wheel with his feet, which is put (for)ever[more] in busyness for his work; and all his working is unnumberable [or and without number is all the working of him].
30 In his arm he shall form (the) clay; and before his feet he shall bow (down) his virtue (or his strength). He shall give his heart to end perfectly something; and by his waking he shall cleanse the furnace.
31 All these men hoped in their hands; and each man is wise in his craft.
32 A city is not builded without all these men. And they shall not dwell, neither go; [Without all these is not built up the city. And they shall not dwell in, nor go in;]
33 and they shall not skip over [or over-leap] into the church. They shall not sit on the seat of a judge; and they shall not understand the testament of doom, neither they shall make open teaching and doom; and they shall not be found in parables.
34 But they shall confirm the creature (or the nature) of the world, and their prayer is the working of craft;