1Sue thou not yuele men, desire thou not to be with hem. 2For the soule of hem bithenkith raueyns, and her lippis speken fraudis. 3An hous schal be bildid bi wisdom, and schal be maad strong bi prudence. 4Celeris schulen be fillid in teching, al riches preciouse and ful fair. 5A wijs man is strong, and a lerned man is stalworth and miyti. 6For whi batel is bigunnun with ordenaunce, and helthe schal be, where many counsels ben. 7Wisdom is hiy to a fool; in the yate he schal not opene his mouth. 8He that thenkith to do yuels, schal be clepid a fool. 9The thouyte of a fool is synne; and a bacbitere is abhomynacioun of men. 10If thou that hast slide, dispeirist in the dai of angwisch, thi strengthe schal be maad lesse. 11Delyuere thou hem, that ben led to deth; and ceesse thou not to delyuere hem, that ben drawun to deth. 12If thou seist, Strengthis suffisen not; he that is biholdere of the herte, vndirstondith, and no thing disseyueth the kepere of thi soule, and he schal yelde to a man bi hise werkis. 13Mi sone, ete thou hony, for it is good; and an honycomb ful swete to thi throte. 14`So and the techyng of wisdom is good to thi soule; and whanne thou hast founde it, thou schalt haue hope in the laste thingis, and thin hope schal not perische. 15Aspie thou not, and seke not wickidnesse in the hous of a iust man, nether waste thou his reste. 16For a iust man schal falle seuene sithis in the dai, and schal rise ayen; but wickid men schulen falle in to yuele. 17Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal; 18lest perauenture the Lord se, and it displese hym, and he take awei his ire fro hym. 19Stryue thou not with `the worste men, nether sue thou wickid men. 20For whi yuele men han not hope of thingis to comynge, and the lanterne of wickid men schal be quenchid. 21My sone, drede thou God, and the kyng; and be thou not medlid with bacbiteris. 22For her perdicioun schal rise togidere sudenli, and who knowith the fal of euer either? 23Also these thingis that suen ben to wise men. It is not good to knowe a persoone in doom. 24Puplis schulen curse hem, that seien to a wickid man, Thou art iust; and lynagis schulen holde hem abhomynable. 25Thei that repreuen iustli synners, schulen be preisid; and blessing schal come on hem. 26He that answerith riytful wordis, schal kisse lippis. 27Make redi thi werk with outforth, and worche thi feelde dilygentli, that thou bilde thin hous aftirward. 28Be thou not a witnesse with out resonable cause ayens thi neiybore; nether flatere thou ony man with thi lippis. 29Seie thou not, As he dide to me, so Y schal do to him, and Y schal yelde to ech man aftir his werk. 30I passide bi the feeld of a slow man, and bi the vyner of a fonned man; and, lo! 31nettlis hadden fillid al, thornes hadden hilid the hiyere part therof, and the wal of stoonys with out morter was distried. 32And whanne Y hadde seyn this thing, Y settide in myn herte, and bi ensaumple Y lernyde techyng. 33Hou longe slepist thou, slow man? whanne schalt thou ryse fro sleep? Sotheli thou schalt slepe a litil, thou schalt nappe a litil, thou schalt ioyne togidere the hondis a litil, to take reste; 34and thi nedynesse as a currour schal come to thee, and thi beggerie as an armed man.