Conversation with the proud, rich, and potent is dangerous. 9. Rely upon God's help, 11. Beware of pusillanimity, and of presumption. 19. A mean is necessary, and the company of equals is most secure.Conuersation with the proud, rich, and potent is dangerous. 9. Relie vpon Gods helpe, 11. Beware of pusillanimitie, & of presumption. 19. A meane is necessarie, and the companie of equals is most secure.✦
He that toucheth pitch, shall be defiled with it: and he that communicaverit: shares information; hath fellowship with, keepeth company with with the proud, shall put on pride.HE that toucheth pitch, shal be defiled with it: and he that communicateth with the proud, shal put on pride.✦Qui tetigerit picem inquinabitur ab ea : et qui communicaverit superbo induet superbiam.
2He shall take a burden upon him that communicateth with one more honourable than himself. And be not companion with one richer than thyself.He shal take a burden vpon him that communicateth with one more honorable then himself. And be not companion with one richer then thyself.✦Pondus super se tollet qui honestiori se communicat, et ditiori te ne socius fueris.
3What society shall the cauldron have with the earthen pot? for when they shall knock one against the other, it shall be broken.What societie shal the caudron haue with the earthen potte? for when they shal knock one against the other, it shal be broken.✦Quid communicabit cacabus ad ollam ? quando enim se colliserint, confringetur.
4The rich man hath done unjustly, and he will fremet: rage, chafe with anger: but the poor man being hurt will hold his peace.The rich man hath done vniustly, and he wil fume: but the poore man being hurt wil hold his peace.✦Dives injuste egit, et fremet : pauper autem læsus tacebit.
5If thou give, he will take thee: and if thou have not, he will forsake thee.If thou geue, he wil take thee: and if thou haue not, he wil forsake thee.✦Si largitus fueris, assumet te : et si non habueris, derelinquet te.
6If thou have, he will live with thee, and will empty thee, and he will not be sorry for thee.If thou haue, he wil liue with thee, and wil emptie thee, and he wil not be sorie for thee.Si habes, convivet tecum, et evacuabit te : et ipse non dolebit super te.
7If thou be necessary for him, he will supplant thee, and smiling will put thee in hope, telling thee good things, and will say: What wantest thou?If thou be necessarie for him, he wil supplant thee, and smiling wil put thee in hope, telling thee good thinges, and wil say: What wantest thou?Si necessarius illi fueris, supplantabit te, et subridens spem dabit, narrans tibi bona, et dicet : Quid opus est tibi ?
8And he will confound thee in his meats, till he empty thee twice, and thrice, and at the last he will mock thee: and afterward seeing he will forsake thee, and will shake his head at thee.And he wil confound thee in his meates, til he emptie thee twise, & thrise, and at the last he wil mocke thee: and afterward seeing he wil forsake thee, and wil shake his head at thee.Et confundet te in cibis suis, donec te exinaniat bis et ter : et in novissimo deridebit te, et postea videns derelinquet te, et caput suum movebit ad te.
9Humble thyself to God, and expect his hands.Humble thyself to God, and expect his handes.✦Humiliare Deo, et exspecta manus ejus.
10Take heed lest seduced into folly thou be humbled.Take heede lest seduced into follie thou be humbled.Attende ne seductus in stultitiam humilieris.
11Be not humble in thy wisdom, lest humbled thou be seduced into folly.Be not humble in thy wisdom, lest humbled thou be seduced into follie.Noli esse humilis in sapientia tua, ne humiliatus in stultitiam seducaris.
12Being called of the mightier depart: for by this he will call thee the more.Being called of the mightier depart: for by this he wil cal thee the more.✦Advocatus a potentiore, discede : ex hoc enim magis te advocabit.
13Be not improbus: to beg persistently; troublesome, pressing, presumptuous, lest thou be rejected: and be not far from him, lest thou go into oblivion.Be not importune, lest thou be reiected: and be not farre from him, lest thou goe into obliuion.Ne improbus sis, ne impingaris : et ne longe sis ab eo, ne eas in oblivionem.
14Stay not to speak fellowlike with him: neither credit his many words. For by much talk he will prove thee, and smiling will examine thee of thy secrets.Stay not to speake felowlike with him: neither credite his manie wordes. For by much talke he wil proue thee, and smiling wil examine thee of thy secretes.✦Ne retineas ex æquo loqui cum illo, nec credas multis verbis illius : ex multa enim loquela tentabit te, et subridens interrogabit te de absconditis tuis.
15His cruel mind will keep thy words: and he will not spare for malice, and for bands.His cruel mind wil kepe thy wordes: and he wil not spare for malice, and for bandes.Immitis animus illius conservabit verba tua : et non parcet de malitia, et de vinculis.
16Take heed to thyself, and attend diligently to thy hearing: because thou walkest with thy subversione: overthrow, ruin.Take heede to thyself, and attend diligently to thyn hearing: because thou walkest with thy subuersion.Cave tibi, et attende diligenter auditui tuo, quoniam cum subversione tua ambulas :
17But hearing those things see as it were in sleep, and thou shalt watch.But hearing those thinges see as it were in sleepe, and thou shalt watch.✦audiens vero illa, quasi in somnis vide, et vigilabis.
18Love God all thy life, and invocate him for thy salvation.Loue God al thy life, and inuocate him for thy saluation.✦Omni vita tua dilige Deum, et invoca illum in salute tua.
19Every beast loveth the like to itself: so also every man the nearest to himself.Euerie beast loueth the like to it self: so also euerie man the nerest to himself.✦Omne animal diligit simile sibi, sic et omnis homo proximum sibi.
20All flesh will match with the like to itself, and every man will associate himself to his like.Al flesh wil match with the like to it self, and euerie man wil associate himself to his like.Omnis caro ad similem sibi conjungetur, et omnis homo simili sui sociabitur.
21If the wolf shall at any time communicate with the lamb, so the sinner with the just.If the woolf shal at anie time communicate with the lambe, so the sinner with the iust.✦Si communicabit lupus agno aliquando, sic peccator justo.
22What fellowship hath an holy man with a dog, or what part hath the rich with the poor?What fellowshippe hath an holy man with a dogge, or what part hath the riche with the poore?Quæ communicatio sancto homini ad canem ? aut quæ pars diviti ad pauperem ?
23The wild ass in the desert is the lion's prey: so the poor are also the pastures of the rich.The wilde asse in the deserte is the lyons pray: so the poore are also the pastures of the riche.Venatio leonis onager in eremo : sic et pascua divitum sunt pauperes.
24And as humility is abomination to the proud: so also the poor man is the execratio: a cursing; a thing accursed, an object of loathing of the rich.And as humilitie is abomination to the proude: so also the poore man is the execration of the riche.Et sicut abominatio est superbo humilitas, sic et execratio divitis pauper.
25The rich man being moved is confirmed by his friends: but the humble when he is fallen, shall be thrust out even of his familiars.The riche man being moued is confirmed by his frendes: but the humble when he is fallen, shal be thrust out euen of his familiars.✦Dives commotus confirmatur ab amicis suis : humilis autem cum ceciderit, expelletur et a notis.
26To the rich deceived there are many recuperatores: those who take up his cause, restorers, advocates: he hath spoken proud words, and they have justified him.To the rich deceeued there are many recouerers: he hath spoken proud wordes, and they haue iustified him.Diviti decepto multi recuperatores : locutus est superba, et justificaverunt illum.
27The humble was deceived, he moreover is rebuked also: he hath spoken wisely, and place was not given unto him.The humble was deceiued, he moreouer is rebuked also: he hath spoken wisely, and place was not geuen vnto him.Humilis deceptus est, insuper et arguitur : locutus est sensate, et non est datus ei locus.
28The rich man spake, and all held their peace, and they will carry his word even to the clouds.The rich man spake, and al helde their peace, and they wil carry his worde euen to the cloudes.Dives locutus est, et omnes tacuerunt, et verbum illius usque ad nubes perducent.
29The poor man spake and they say: Who is this? and if he stumble, they will overthrow him.The poore man spake and they say: Who is this? and if he stumble, they wil ouerthrowe him.Pauper locutus est, et dicunt : Quis est hic ? et si offenderit, subvertent illum.
30Substance is good, to him that hath no sin in his conscience: and poverty is most wicked in the mouth of the impious.Substance is good, to him that hath no sinne in his conscience: and pouertie is most wicked in the mouth of the impious.✦Bona est substantia cui non est peccatum in conscientia : et nequissima paupertas in ore impii.
31The heart of a man altereth his countenance, either into good, or into evil.The hart of a man altereth his countenance, either into good, or into euil.✦Cor hominis immutat faciem illius, sive in bona, sive in mala.
32The token of a good heart, and a good countenance thou shalt hardly find, and with labour.The token of a good hart, and a good countenance thou shalt hardly finde, and with labour.Vestigium cordis boni et faciem bonam difficile invenies, et cum labore.
The reading text follows the 1582 first edition.