Chapter 7

  Do no evils, and no evils shall lay hold of thee.  

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  Depart from the unjust, and evils shall depart from thee.  

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  My son, sow not evils in the furrows of injustice, and thou shalt not reap them sevenfold.  

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  Seek not of the Lord a pre-eminence, nor of the king the seat of honour.  

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  Justify not thyself before God, for he knoweth the heart: and desire not to appear wise before the king.  

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  Seek not to be made a judge, unless thou have strength enough to extirpate iniquities: lest thou fear the person of the powerful, and lay a stumblingblock for thy integrity.  

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  Offend not against the multitude of a city, neither cast thyself in upon the people,  

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  Nor bind sin to sin: for even in one thou shalt not be unpunished.  

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  Be not fainthearted in thy mind:  

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  Neglect not to pray, and to give alms.  

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  Say not: God will have respect to the multitude of my gifts, and when I offer to the most high God, he will accept my offerings.  

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  Laugh no man to scorn in the bitterness of his soul: for there is one that humbleth and exalteth, God who seeth  

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  Devise not a lie against thy brother: neither do the like against thy friend.  

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  Be not willing to make any manner of lie: for the custom thereof is not good.  

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  Be not full of words in a multitude of ancients, and repeat not the word in thy prayer.  

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  Hate not laborious works, nor husbandry ordained by the most High.  

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  Number not thyself among the multitude of the disorderly.  

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  Remember wrath, for it will not tarry long.  

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  Humble thy spirit very much: for the vengeance on the flesh of the ungodly is fire and worms.  

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  Do not transgress against thy friend deferring money, nor despise thy dear brother for the sake of gold.  

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  Depart not from a wise and good wife, whom thou best gotten in the fear of the Lord: for the grace of her modesty is above gold.  

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  Hurt not the servant that worketh faithfully, nor the hired man that giveth thee his life.  

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  Let a wise servant be dear to thee as thy own soul, defraud him not of liberty, nor leave him needy.  

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  Hast thou cattle? have an eye to them: and if they be for thy profit, keep them with thee.  

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  Hast thou children? instruct them, and bow down their neck from their childhood.  

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  Hast thou daughters? have a care of their body, and shew not thy countenance gay towards them.  

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  Marry thy daughter well, and then shalt do a great work, and give her to a wise man.  

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  If thou hast a wife according to thy soul, cast her not off: and to her that is hateful, trust not thyself. With thy whole heart,  

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  Honour thy father, and forget not the groanings of thy mother:  

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  Remember that thou hadst not been born but through them: and make a return to them as they have done for thee.  

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  With all thy soul fear the Lord, and reverence his priests.  

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  With all thy strength love him that made thee: and forsake not his ministers.  

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  Honour God with all thy soul, and give honour to the priests, and purify thyself with thy arms.  

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  Give them their portion, as it is commanded thee, of the firstfruits and of purifications: and for thy negligences purify thyself with a few.  

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  Offer to the Lord the gift of thy shoulders, and the sacrifice of sanctification, and the firstfruits of the holy things:  

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  A gift hath grace in the sight of all the living, and restrain not grace from the dead.  

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  And stretch out thy hand to the poor, that thy expiation and thy blessing may be perfected.  

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  Be not wanting in comforting them that weep, and walk with them that mourn.  

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  Be not slow to visit the sick: for by these things thou shalt be confirmed in love.  

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  In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin.  

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