¶ My son, if thou be surety for thy neighbour, thou hast fastened thine hand with another man:
yea thou art bound with thine own words, and taken with thine own speach.
Therefore my son, do this: discharge thyself, for thou art come into thy neighbour's danger. Go thy way then soon, and entreat thy neighbour:
let not thine eyes sleep, nor thine eyelids slumber.
Save thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
¶ Go to the Emmet (thou sluggard) consider her ways, and learn to be wise.
She hath no guide, no teacher, no leader:
yet in the Summer she provideth her meat, and gathereth her food together in the harvest.
How long wilt thou sleep, thou sluggish man? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
Yea sleep on still a little, slumber a little, fold thy hands together yet a little, that thou mayest sleep:
so shall poverty come unto thee as one that travaileth by the way, and necessity like a weaponed man.
¶ A dissembling person, a wicked man goeth with a froward mouth,
he winketh with his eyes, he tokeneth with his feet, he pointeth with his fingers,
he is ever imagining mischief and frowardness in his heart, and causeth discord.
Therefore shall his destruction come hastily upon him, suddenly shall he be all broken, and not healed.
There be six things which the LORD hateth, and the seventh he utterly abhoreth:
A proud look, a dissembling tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
an heart that goeth about with wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in renning to do mischief,
a false witness that bringeth up lies, and such one as soweth discord among brethren.
¶ My son, keep thy father's commandments, and forsake not the law of thy mother.
Put them up together in thine heart, and bind them about thy neck.
That they may lead thee where thou goest, preserve thee when thou art asleep, and that when thou awakest, thou mayest talk of them.
For the commandment is a lantern, and the law a light: yea chastening and nurture is the way of life:
that they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the flattering tongue of the harlot:
that thou lust not after her beauty in thine heart, and lest thou be taken with her fair looks.
An Harlot will make a man to beg his bread, but a married woman will hunt for the precious life.
May a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be brent?
Or can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be hurt?
Even so, whosoever goeth in to his neighbour's wife, and toucheth her, can not be unguilty.
Men do not utterly despise a thief, that stealeth to satisfy his soul, when he is hungry:
But if he may be gotten, he restoreth again seven times as much, or else he maketh recompense with all the goods of his house.
But whoso committeth advoutry with a woman, he is a fool, and bringeth his life to destruction.
He getteth himself also shame and dishonour, such as shall never be put out.
For the jealousy and wrath of the man will not be entreated,
no though thou wouldest offer him great gifts to make amends, he will not receive them.
Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.