He that is surety for another, must have care to discharge that he promiseth. 6. The slothful must learn diligence of the emmet. 12. The description of an Apostata. 16. Above other six bad things, God detesteth the sower of discord. 20. All are exhorted to keep God's law, 24. namely to flee fornication, and all occasions thereof.He that is suretie for an other, must haue care to discharge that he promiseth. 6. The slouthful must lerne diligence of the emmotte. 12. The description of an Apostata. 16. Aboue other six bad thinges, God detesteth the sower of discord. 20. Al are exhorted to kepe Gods law, 24. namely to flee fornication, and al occasions therof.✦
My son, if thou shalt be spoponderis: certainty; a guarantor, one who pledges for another's debt for thy friend, and hast made fast thy hand to a stranger,MY sonne, if thou shalt be suretie for thy freind, and hast made fast thy hand to a stranger,✦Fili mi, si spoponderis pro amico tuo, defixisti apud extraneum manum tuam :
2thou art entrapped with the words of thy mouth, and caught with thine own words.thou art entrapped with the wordes of thy mouth, & caught with thyne owne wordes.illaqueatus es verbis oris tui, et captus propriis sermonibus.
3Do therefore my son that which I say, and deliver thyself, because thou art fallen into the hand of thy neighbour. Run divers ways, make haste, raise thy friend:Doe therefore my sonne that which I say, and deliuer thyselfe, because thou art fallen into the hand of thy neighbour. Runne diuers wayes, make hast, rayse thy freind:✦Fac ergo quod dico, fili mi, et temetipsum libera, quia incidisti in manum proximi tui. Discurre, festina, suscita amicum tuum.
4Give not sleep to thine eyes, neither let thine eyelids slumber.Geue not sleepe to thine eies, neither let thine eieliddes slumber.Ne dederis somnum oculis tuis, nec dormitent palpebræ tuæ.
5Deliver thyself as a little doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.Deliuer thyselfe as a litle doa from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.✦Eruere quasi damula de manu, et quasi avis de manu aucupis.
6Go to the formica: an ant, a pismire O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom.Goe to the emmote ô sluggard, and consider her wayes, and lerne wisdom.✦Vade ad formicam, o piger, et considera vias ejus, et disce sapientiam.
7Who whereas she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain,Who wheras she hath no guide, nor master, nor captaine,Quæ cum non habeat ducem, nec præceptorem, nec principem,
8prepareth meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth in the harvest for to eatprepareth meate for herselfe in the summer, and gethereth in the haruest for to eateparat in æstate cibum sibi, et congregat in messe quod comedat.
9How long wilt thou sleep O sluggard? when wilt thou rise out of thy sleep?How long wilt thou sleepe ô sluggard? when wilt thou rise out of thy sleepe?✦Usquequo, piger, dormies ? quando consurges e somno tuo ?
10Thou shalt sleep a little, a little shalt thou slumber, a little shalt thou join thy hands to sleep:Thou shalt sleepe a litle, a litle shalt thou slumber, a litle shalt thou ioyne thy handes to sleepe:Paululum dormies, paululum dormitabis, paululum conseres manus ut dormias ;
11and egestas: want, poverty, destitution shall come to thee, as a wayfaring man, and poverty as a man armed. But if thou be not sluggish, thy harvest shall come as a fountain, and penury shall flee far from thee.and penurie shal come to thee, as a wayfaring man, and pouertie as a man armed. But if thou be not sluggish, thy haruest shal come as a fountaine, and penurie shal flee farre from thee.et veniet tibi quasi viator egestas, et pauperies quasi vir armatus. Si vero impiger fueris, veniet ut fons messis tua, et egestas longe fugiet a te.
12A man that is an Apostata, a man unprofitable, goeth with perverse mouth,A man that is an Apostata, a man vnprofitable, goeth with peruerse mouth,✦Homo apostata, vir inutilis, graditur ore perverso ;
13winketh with the eyes, treadeth with the foot, speaketh with the finger,winketh with the eies, treadeth with the foote, speaketh with the finger,annuit oculis, terit pede, digito loquitur,
14with wicked heart he deviseth evil, and at all time he soweth brawls.with wicked hart he deuiseth euil, and at al time he soweth brawles.pravo corde machinatur malum, et omni tempore jurgia seminat.
15To him his destruction shall come forthwith, and he shall suddenly be destroyed, neither shall he have remedy any more.To him his destruction shal come forthwith, and he shal sodenlie be destroyed, neither shal he haue remedie any more.✦Huic extemplo veniet perditio sua, et subito conteretur, nec habebit ultra medicinam.
16Six things there are, which our Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth:Six thinges there are, which our Lord hateth, and the seuenth his soule detesteth:✦Sex sunt quæ odit Dominus, et septimum detestatur anima ejus :
17Lofty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,Loftie eies, a lying tongue, handes that shede innocent bloud,oculos sublimes, linguam mendacem, manus effundentes innoxium sanguinem,
18a heart that deviseth most wicked devices, feet swift to run into evil,a hart that deuiseth most wicked deuises, feete swift to runne into euil,cor machinans cogitationes pessimas, pedes veloces ad currendum in malum,
19a deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that among brethren soweth discords.a deceitful witnesse that vttereth lies, and him that among brether soweth discordes.proferentem mendacia testem fallacem, et eum qui seminat inter fratres discordias.
20My son keep the precepts of thy father, and leave not the law of thy mother.My sonne keepe the preceptes of thy father, and leaue not the lawe of thy mother.✦Conserva, fili mi, præcepta patris tui, et ne dimittas legem matris tuæ.
21Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy throat.Bynde them in thy hart continualy, and put them about thy throte.Liga ea in corde tuo jugiter, et circumda gutturi tuo.
22When thou shalt walk, let them go with thee: when thou shalt sleep, let them keep thee, and awaking talk with them.When thou shalt walke, let them goe with thee: when thou shalt sleepe, let them kepe thee, and awaking talke with them.Cum ambulaveris, gradiantur tecum ; cum dormieris, custodiant te : et evigilans loquere cum eis.
23Because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light, and the way of life the increpatio: rebuke, chiding reproof of discipline:Because the commandment is a lampe, and the lawe a light, and the way of life the increpation of discipline:✦Quia mandatum lucerna est, et lex lux, et via vitæ increpatio disciplinæ :
24that they may keep thee from the evil woman, and from the fair spoken tongue of the stranger.that they may kepe thee from the euil woman, and from the faire spoken tongue of the stranger.✦ut custodiant te a muliere mala, et a blanda lingua extraneæ.
25Let not thy heart covet her beauty, be not caught with her nutibus: beckonings, nods of command:Let not thy hart couet her beautie, be not caught with her beckes:Non concupiscat pulchritudinem ejus cor tuum, nec capiaris nutibus illius :
26for the price of an harlot is scarce worth one loaf: but a woman catcheth the precious soul of man.for the price of an harlot is scarse worth one loafe: but a woman catcheth the precious soule of man.✦pretium enim scorti vix est unius panis, mulier autem viri pretiosam animam capit.
27Can a man hide fire in his bosom, that his garments burn not?Can a man hide fyre in his bosome, that his garmentes burne not?✦Numquid potest homo abscondere ignem in sinu suo, ut vestimenta illius non ardeant ?
28Or walk upon hot coals, that his soles be not burnt?Or walke vpon hote coales, that his soales be not burnt?aut ambulare super prunas, ut non comburantur plantæ ejus ?
29so he that goeth in unto his neighbour's wife, shall not be clean when he shall touch her.so he that goeth in vnto his neighbours wife, shal not be cleane when he shal touche her.sic qui ingreditur ad mulierem proximi sui, non erit mundus cum tetigerit eam.
30It is no great fault, when a man shall have stolen: for he stealeth to fill his hungry soul:It is no greate fault, when a man shal haue stollen: for he stealeth to fil his hungrie soule:✦Non grandis est culpa cum quis furatus fuerit : furatur enim ut esurientem impleat animam ;
31also being taken he shall restore sevenfold, and shall give up all the substance of his house.also being taken he shal restore seuenfold, and shal geue vp al the substance of his house.deprehensus quoque reddet septuplum, et omnem substantiam domus suæ tradet.
32But he that is an adulterer, for penury of heart shall destroy his own soul:But he that is an aduouterer, for penurie of hart shal destroy his owne soule:✦Qui autem adulter est, propter cordis inopiam perdet animam suam ;
33shame and ignominy he gathereth to himself, and his reproach shall not be blotted out.shame and ignominie he gethereth to himselfe, & his reproch shal not be blotted out.turpitudinem et ignominiam congregat sibi, et opprobrium illius non delebitur :
34Because the zeal and fury of the husband will not spare in the day of revenge,Because the zele and furie of the husband wil not spare in the day of reuenge,✦quia zelus et furor viri non parcet in die vindictæ,
35neither will he yield to any man's prayers, neither will he take for redemption very many gifts.neither wil he yeld to any mans prayers, neither wil he take for redemption verie many giftes.nec acquiescet cujusquam precibus, nec suscipiet pro redemptione dona plurima.
The reading text follows the 1582 first edition.