CHAPTER 22
1 A slow man is astonied in a stone of clay; and all men shall speak on [or of] the [great] despising of him.
2 A slow man is astonied of the dung of oxes [or the drit of oxen]; and each man that toucheth him, shall shake the hands.
3 The shame of a father is of a son unlearned; but a fond [or foolish] daughter shall be in decreasing of the honour of father and mother.
4 A prudent daughter is heritage to her husband; for she that shameth her husband, is in despising [or reproof] of the father.
5 A bold woman, that is, shame-less, shameth the father and husband, and shall not be made less than unfaithful men; forsooth she shall not be honoured of ever either.
6 Melody in mourning is uncoven-able telling; beatings and teaching, [or scourges and doctrine], in all time with wisdom.
7 He that teacheth a fool, as he that glueth together a tilestone [or shard]. He that telleth a word to him that heareth not, is as he that raiseth a man sleeping from a grievous [or heavy] sleep.
8 He that telleth wisdom to a fool, speaketh with a man sleeping; and in the end of the telling he shall say, Who is this?
9 (This verse is omitted in the original text.)
10 (This verse is omitted in the original text.)
11 Weep thou on a dead man, for why his light failed [or the light of him failed]; and weep thou on a fool, for he failed of wit. Weep thou a little on a dead man, for he hath rested. Forsooth the life of a full wicked man is full wicked, more than the death of a fool.
12 The mourning of a dead man is seven days; but the mourning of a fool and of a wicked man [or the unpious]is all the days of their life.
13 Speak thou not much with a fool, and go thou not with an unwise man. Keep thee from him, that thou have not dis-ease [or grief]; and thou shalt not be defouled in the sin of him. Bow thou away from him, and thou shalt find rest; and be thou not annoyed by his folly.
14 What shall be made heavier than lead? and what other name than a fool is to it? [or what other name to him than a fool?]
15 It is lighter to bear gravel, and salt, and a gobbet of iron, than a man unprudent [or an imprudent man], and a fool, and unfaithful.
16 As an heap [or joining] of trees, bound together in the foundament of the building, shall not be unbound [or unloosed], so and an heart confirmed in the thought of counsel.
17 The thought of a wise man shall not be made shrewd in any time, neither dreaded.
18 As chaffs in high places, and sand without meddling of him [or mortar without due cost], set against the face of the wind, shall not dwell; so and a dreadful heart in the thought [or the thinking] of a fool against-standeth not against the fierceness of dread. As adorning, either pargeting, full of gravel in a clear wall, so and a fearedful heart in the thought of a fool [or so the trembling heart in the thinking of a fool] shall not dread in any time; so and he that dwelleth ever[more] in the behests of God.
19 He that pricketh the eye, shall lead out tears; and he that pricketh the heart, bringeth forth wit.
20 He that casteth a stone to birds, shall cast down those [or them]; so and he that doeth wrong [or putteth reproof] to a friend, departeth friend-ship.
21 Though thou bringest forth a sword to a friend, despair thou not; for there is going again to the friend.
22 If he openeth a sorrowful [or a dreary] mouth, dread thou not; for why there is according, except for despising, and shame, and pride, and showing [or opening] of privates, and a treacherous wound; in all these things a friend shall fly [or flee] away.
23 Have thou faith with a friend in his poverty, that thou be glad also in his goods. In the time of his trib-ulations, dwell thou faithful to him [or abide still to him faithful], that also thou be even-heir in the heritage of him.
24 Heat and smoke of fire is made high before the fire of a chimney; so and cursings [or curses], and des-pisings [or wrongs], and menaces [threats], come before blood.
25 I shall not be ashamed for to greet [or to salute] a friend, and I shall not hide me from his face;
26 though [or if] evils come to me by him, I shall suffer. Each man that shall hear, shall keep warily [or shun] him-self from him.
27 Who shall give keeping [or ward] to my mouth, and a certain sealing on my lips, that I fall not by those [or them], and that my tongue lose not me?