Bible in 90 Days

135 Alleluia. Praise ye the name of the Lord; ye servants of the Lord, praise ye (him).

² Ye that stand in the house of the Lord; in the halls/in the foreyards of the house of our God. (Ye who stand in the House of the Lord; in the courtyards of the House of our God.)

³ Praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing ye to his name, for it is sweet (for it is pleasant to do so).

⁴ For the Lord chose Jacob to himself; [and] Israel into possession to himself. (For the Lord chose Jacob for himself; yea, he chose Israel as his special possession.)

⁵ For I have known, that the Lord is great; and our God (is) before all gods. (For I know that the Lord is great; and that our God is above all gods.)

⁶ The Lord made all things, whatever things he would, in heaven and in earth; in the sea, and in all depths of waters. (The Lord made everything, whatever he desired, in heaven and on earth; in the sea, and in all the depths of the waters.)

⁷ He led out clouds from the farthest part of earth; and made lightnings into rain. Which bringeth forth winds from his treasures; (He leadeth out the clouds from the farthest parts of the earth; and maketh lightning for the rains. He bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries, or out of his storehouses.)

⁸ which killed the first begotten things of Egypt, from man unto beast. (He killed all the first-born in Egypt, both man and beast.)

⁹ He sent out signs and great wonders, in the middle of thee, thou Egypt; into Pharaoh, and into all his servants. (He sent out signs and great wonders, into the midst of thee, O Egypt; against Pharaoh, and all his servants.)

¹⁰ Which smote many folks; and killed strong kings. (Who struck down many nations; and killed strong kings.)

¹¹ Sihon, the king of Amorites, and Og, the king of Bashan; and all the realms of Canaan (and all the kings in Canaan).

¹² And he gave the land of them heritage; to be heritage to Israel, his people. (And he gave their land for an inheritance; yea, to be an inheritance for his people Israel.)

¹³ Lord, thy name is [into] without end; Lord, thy memorial be in generation and into generation. (Lord, thy name shall endure forever; Lord, thou shalt be remembered by all generations.)

¹⁴ For the Lord shall deem his people; and he shall be prayed in his servants. (For the Lord shall judge his people; and he shall take pity upon his servants.)

¹⁵ The simulacra of heathen men be silver and gold; the works of the hands of men. (The idols of the heathen be but silver and gold; yea, the works of men’s hands.)

¹⁶ Those images have a mouth, and shall not speak; those have eyes, and shall not see. (Those idols have mouths, but they cannot speak; they have eyes, but they cannot see.)

¹⁷ Those have ears, and shall not hear; for there is no spirit in the mouth of them. (They have ears, but they cannot hear; for there is no breath in their mouths.)

¹⁸ They that make those [things], be made like them; and all that trust in them. (Let they who make those things, be made like them; and all who trust in them as well.)

¹⁹ The house of Israel, bless ye the Lord; the house of Aaron, bless ye the Lord.

²⁰ The house of Levi, bless ye the Lord; ye that dread the Lord, bless ye the Lord (ye who fear the Lord/ye who revere the Lord, bless ye the Lord).

²¹ Blessed be the Lord (out) of Zion; that dwelleth in Jerusalem. (Blessed be the Lord in Zion; yea, he who dwelleth in Jerusalem.)

136 Alleluia. Acknowledge ye to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy is [into] without end. (Alleluia. Give ye thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his love is forever.)

² Acknowledge ye to the God of gods. (Give ye thanks to the God of gods.)

³ Acknowledge ye to the Lord of lords. (Give ye thanks to the Lord of lords.)

⁴ Which alone maketh great marvels. (Who alone doeth marvellous deeds, or great miracles.)

⁵ Which made heavens by understanding. (Who made the heavens by his wisdom.)

⁶ Which made steadfast [the] earth on waters. (Who made the earth firm upon the waters.)

⁷ Which made great lights. (Who made the great lights.)

⁸ The sun into the power of the day. (The sun to have power over the day.)

⁹ The moon and the stars into power of the night. (The moon and the stars to have power over the night.)

¹⁰ Which smote Egypt with the first engendered things of them. (Who struck down the first-born of the Egyptians.)

¹¹ Which led out Israel from the midst of them. (Who led out Israel from their midst.)

¹² In a mighty hand, and in an high arm. (Yea, with a mighty hand, and a powerful arm.)

¹³ Which parted the Red Sea into partings. (Who divided the Red Sea, or the Sea of Reeds, in two.)

¹⁴ And led out Israel through the midst thereof.

¹⁵ And he cast adown Pharaoh and his power, or virtue, in the Red Sea. (And he threw down Pharaoh, and his host, or his army, into the Red Sea, or the Sea of Reeds.)

¹⁶ Which led over his people through desert. (Who led his people through the wilderness.)

¹⁷ Which smote great kings. (Who struck down great kings.)

¹⁸ And killed strong kings.

¹⁹ Sihon, the king of Amorites.

²⁰ And Og, the king of Bashan.

²¹ And he gave the land of them to be heritage. (And he gave their land for an inheritance to his people.)

²² Heritage to Israel, his servant. (Yea, for an inheritance to his servant Israel.)

²³ For in our lowness he had mind on us. (For he remembered us in our defeat./For he remembered us when we were brought down so very low.)

²⁴ And he again-bought us from our enemies. (And he redeemed us, or he rescued us, from our enemies.)

²⁵ Which giveth meat to each flesh. (Who giveth food to all his creatures.)

²⁶ Acknowledge ye to the God of heaven. Acknowledge ye to the Lord of lords; for his mercy is [into] without end. (Give ye thanks to the God of heaven. Give ye thanks to the Lord of lords; for his love is forever.)

137 On the floods of Babylon, there we sat, and wept; while we bethought on Zion. (By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, and wept; when we thought about Zion.)

² In sallows in the midst thereof; we hanged up our organs. (On the willows nearby; we hung up our harps.)

³ For they that led us prisoners; asked us there the words of songs. And they that led away us said; Sing ye to us an hymn of the songs of Zion. (For they who led us away as prisoners; told us to sing there. Yea, they who led us away said, Sing ye for us a hymn of the songs of Zion.)

⁴ How shall we sing a song of the Lord; in an alien land? (But how can we sing a song to the Lord, in a foreign, or a strange, land?)

⁵ If I forget thee, Jerusalem; my right hand be given to forgetting. (Yea, if I forget thee, Jerusalem; may my right hand forget how to play my harp/may my right hand wither away.)

⁶ My tongue cleave to my cheeks; if I bethink not on thee. If I purposed not of thee, Jerusalem; in the beginning of my gladness. (And may my tongue cleave to my cheeks; if I do not remember thee, Jerusalem. Yea, if I do not think of thee, as my greatest joy.)

⁷ Lord, have thou mind on the sons of Edom; for the day of Jerusalem. Which say, Extinguish ye, extinguish ye; till to the foundament therein. (Lord, remember what the Edomites did; on that day that Jerusalem fell. They said, Destroy ye it! destroy ye it! unto its foundations!)

⁸ Thou wretched daughter of Babylon; he is blessed, that yieldeth to thee thy yielding, which thou yieldest to us. (O wretched daughter of Babylon; happy is he, who doeth to thee, what thou hast done to us/happy be those, who repay thee, for all that thou hast done to us.)

⁹ He is blessed, that shall hold; and hurtle down his little children at the stone. (Happy is he/Happy be they, who shall take hold of thy little children; and hurtle them against a stone.)

138 [The psalm of David.] Lord, I shall acknowledge to thee in all mine heart; for thou heardest the words of my mouth. My God, I shall sing to thee in the sight of angels; (The song of David. Lord, I shall praise thee with all my heart. My God, I shall sing praises to thee before the angels, or before the gods.)

² I shall worship to(ward) thine holy temple, and I shall acknowledge to thy name. On thy mercy and thy truth; for thou hast magnified thine holy name above all thing. (I shall worship towards thy holy Temple, and I shall praise thy name; because of thy love, and thy faithfulness; for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all things.)

³ In whatever day I shall inwardly call thee, hear thou me; thou shalt multiply virtue in my soul. (On whatever day I called to thee, thou answeredest me; and thou hast multiplied the strength in my soul/and thou hast made me strong.)

⁴ Lord, all the kings of earth acknowledge to thee; for they heard all the words of thy mouth. (Lord, all the kings of the earth shall praise thee; for they have heard all the words of thy mouth.)

⁵ And sing they in the ways of the Lord (And they shall sing of the ways of the Lord); for the glory of the Lord is great.

⁶ For the Lord is high, and beholdeth meek things; and knoweth afar high things. (For though the Lord is high above, he looketh upon the meek/he careth for the humble; and he knoweth the proud from afar.)

⁷ If I shall go in the midst of tribulation, thou shalt quicken me; and thou stretchedest forth thine hand on the ire of mine enemies, and thy right hand made me safe. (Yea, though I go in the midst of trouble, or of tribulation, thou keepest me safe/thou keepest me alive; and thou stretchest forth thy hand against the rage of my enemies, and thy right hand savest me.)

⁸ The Lord shall yield for me, Lord, thy mercy is [into] without end; despise thou not the works of thine hands. (The Lord shall bring to pass his promises to me. O Lord, thy love is forever; so complete thy work.)

139 To victory, the psalm of David. Lord, thou hast proved me, and hast known me; (To victory, the song of David. Lord, thou hast assayed, or tested, me, and thou knowest me;)

² thou hast known my sitting, and my rising again. Thou hast understood my thoughts from [a]far; (thou hast known my sitting down, and my rising up. Thou hast understood my thoughts from afar;)

³ thou hast inquired (of) my path and my cord. And thou hast before-seen all my ways; (thou hast examined my path, and my resting places. And thou hast foreseen all my ways.)

⁴ for no word is in my tongue. Lo! Lord, thou hast known all things, (Yea, there is no word on my tongue, lo! Lord; but that thou not knowest it first.)

⁵ the new things and eld; thou hast formed me, and hast set thine hand on me. (Thou art behind me, and before me; and thou hast set thy hand upon me.)

⁶ Thy knowing is made wonderful of me; it is comforted, and I shall not be able to it. (Thy abundant knowledge is so wonderful to me; yea, it is so very great, and I shall never be able to comprehend it all.)

⁷ Whither shall I go from thy spirit; and whither shall I flee from thy face? (Where shall I go from thy spirit; and where shall I flee from thy presence?)

⁸ If I shall ascend into heaven, thou art there; if I shall go down into hell, thou art present. (If I shall go up into heaven, thou art there; if I shall go down into Sheol, or into the land of the dead, thou art there also.)

⁹ If I shall take my feathers full early; and shall dwell in the last parts of the sea. (If I shall take flight early in the morning; or if I shall live on the farthest edge, or the coast, of the sea.)

¹⁰ And soothly thither thine hand shall lead me forth; and thy right hand shall hold me. (Even there thy hand shall lead me forth; and thy right hand shall keep me safe.)

¹¹ And I said, In hap darknesses shall defoul me; and the night is my lightening in my delights. (And I said, Perhaps the darkness shall cover me; or the light all around me shall become my night.)

¹² For why darknesses shall not be made dark from thee, and the night shall be lightened as the day; as the darknesses thereof, so and the light thereof. (But the darkness shall not be dark for thee, and the night shall be like the daylight; yea, to you, the darkness is no different than the light.)

¹³ For thou haddest in possession my reins; thou tookest me up from the womb of my mother. (For thou haddest my reins in thy possession/For thou formedest my inner parts; yea, thou madest me in my mother’s womb.)

¹⁴ I shall acknowledge to thee, for thou art magnified dreadfully; thy works be wonderful, and my soul shall know (that) full much. (I shall praise thee, for thou art greatly to be feared/for thou hath filled me with awe; thy works be wonderful, and I truly know that.)

¹⁵ My bone, which thou madest in private, is not hid from thee; and my substance (formed) in the lower parts of earth. (My bones, which thou madest in secret, be not a mystery to thee; yea, when my substance was formed in the lower parts of the earth.)

¹⁶ Thine eyes saw mine unperfect thing, and all men shall be written in thy book; days shall be formed, and no man is in those. (Thine eyes saw my imperfect substance, and all was written in thy Book; but when those days were formed, no man was there.)

¹⁷ Forsooth, God, thy friends be made honourable full much to me; the princehood of them is comforted full much. (But, God, how deep be thy thoughts to me; and how many of them there be!)

¹⁸ I shall number them, and they shall be multiplied above the gravel; I rose up, and yet I am with thee. (If I tried to count them all up, their number would be more than all the grains of sand. And then I awake; and still I am with thee.)

¹⁹ For thou, God, shalt slay sinners; ye men-quellers, bow away from me. (O God, I wish that thou wouldest kill the sinners; ye murderers, go far away from me!)

²⁰ For they say in thought; Take they their cities in vanity. (For out loud they say against thee, We shall take thy name in vain.)

²¹ Lord, whether I hated not them that hated thee; and I failed, that is, mourned greatly, on (those who be) thine enemies? (Lord, how I hate those who hate thee; and I am greatly grieved by those who be thy enemies!)

²² By perfect hatred I hated them; they were made enemies to me. (Yea, with perfect hatred I hate them; they be made my enemies too.)

²³ God, prove thou me, and know thou mine heart; ask thou me, and know thou my paths. (God, assay, or test, thou me, and know thou my heart; ask thou me, and know thou my thoughts.)

²⁴ And see thou, if way of wickedness is in me; and lead thou me forth in [the] everlasting way. (And see thou, if there be found any way of wickedness in me; and then lead thou me forth in the everlasting way.)

140 To victory, the psalm of David. Lord, deliver thou me from an evil man; deliver thou me from a wicked man. (To victory, the song of David. Lord, save thou me from evil people; yea, save thou me from violent, or wicked, people.)

² Which thought wickednesses in the heart; all day they ordained battles. (Who always think in their hearts about doing wicked things; who plan out battles all day long/day after day.)

³ They sharpened their tongues as serpents; the venom of snakes is under the lips of them. (Their tongues be sharp like the fangs of serpents; the venom of snakes is on their lips.)

⁴ Lord, keep thou me from the hand of the sinner; and deliver thou me from wicked men. Which thought to deceive my goings; (Lord, keep thou me safe from the power of the sinner; and save thou me from the wicked, from those who think out ways to thwart my progress.)

⁵ proud men hid a snare to me. And they laid forth cords into a snare; they setted (a) trap to me beside the way. (Proud people hid a snare for me, yea, they laid out cords for a snare; they set a trap for me along the way.)

⁶ I said to the Lord, Thou art my God; Lord, hear thou the voice of my beseeching (Lord, hear thou the words of my plea).

⁷ Lord, Lord, the virtue of mine health; thou madest shadow on mine head in the day of battle. (Lord, Lord, my strong salvation/my strong deliverance; thou madest a shadow upon my head on the day of battle.)

⁸ Lord, betake thou not me from my desire to the sinner; they thought against me, forsake thou not me, lest peradventure they be enhanced. (Lord, do not thou deliver me unto the desires of the sinners; they have planned to harm me, so abandon thou me not, lest they gain an advantage over me.)

⁹ The head of the compass of them; the travail of their lips shall cover them. (As for the leaders of those who surround me; let the treachery of their own lips ensnare them.)

¹⁰ Coals shall fall on them, thou shalt cast them down into fire; in(to) wretchednesses (where) they shall not (be able to) stand. (Let burning coals fall upon them, and be they thrown down into the fire; yea, into a wretchedness from which they shall never be able to escape.)

¹¹ A man that is a great jangler shall not be (well-) directed in earth (A man who is a great gossip, or a slanderer, shall not be successful in the world); evils shall take an unjust man in(to) perishing.

¹² I have known, that the Lord shall make doom of a needy man; and the vengeance of poor men. (I know, that the Lord shall make judgement in favour of the needy; and he shall take vengeance for the poor.)

¹³ Nevertheless just men shall acknowledge to thy name; and rightful men shall dwell with thy cheer. (Truly the righteous shall give thanks to thy name; and the upright shall live in thy presence./Truly the righteous shall praise thy name; and the upright shall worship before thee.)

141 The psalm of David. (The song of David.) Lord, I cried to thee, hear thou me; give thou attention to my voice, when I shall cry to thee.

² My prayer be (ad)dressed as incense in thy sight; the raising up of mine hands be as the eventide sacrifice. (Let my prayer be directed before thee like incense; and let the raising up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.)

³ Lord, set thou a keeping to my mouth; and a door of standing about to my lips. (Lord, set thou a guard at my mouth; yea, a sentry at the door of my lips.)

⁴ Bow thou not [down] mine heart into words of malice; to excuse excusings in sin. With men working wickedness; and I shall not commune with the chosen men of them. (Help thou me not to turn my heart to words of malice; to make excuses for sins, and for those who do evil. I shall not commune with their chosen ones/I shall not feast with their chosen ones.)

⁵ A just man shall reprove me in mercy, and he shall blame me; but the oil of a sinner make not fat mine head. For why and yet my prayer is in the well pleasant things of them; (The righteous shall rebuke me in love, and they shall reproach me; but my head shall not be anointed with the oil of sinners. For my prayer is still against what is pleasing to them.)

⁶ for the doomsmen of them joined to the stone were sopped up. Hear they my words, for they were mighty. (And when their judges shall be thrown down from stony places, then the people shall listen to my words; for they be true.)

⁷ As fatness is broken out on the earth; our bones be scattered nigh hell. (As wood chopped into pieces lieth on the ground; so their bones shall be scattered nigh to Sheol/close to the grave.)

⁸ Lord, Lord, for mine eyes be to thee, I hoped in thee; take thou not away my soul. (Lord, Lord, I fix my eyes upon thee, and I put my trust in thee; do not let me die!)

⁹ Keep thou me from the snare which they ordained to me; and from the traps of them that work wickedness. (Keep thou me safe from the snare which they have set for me; yea, from the traps of those who do evil.)

¹⁰ Sinners shall fall in the net thereof; I am alone till I pass. (Let the sinners fall into their own nets; while I alone shall safely pass by.)

142 The learning of David; his prayer, when he was in the den. With my voice I cried to the Lord; with my voice I prayed heartily to the Lord. (The teaching of David; his prayer, when he was in the cave. With my voice I cried to the Lord; with my voice I heartily prayed to the Lord.)

² I shedded out my prayer in his sight; and I pronounce(d) my tribulation before him. (I poured out my complaints before him; and I told him about all my troubles.)

³ While my spirit faileth of me; and thou hast known my paths. In this way in which I went; proud men hid a snare to me. (Yea, when my spirit failed within me; thou knewest which path I should take. For on the way in which I went; proud people hid a snare for me.)

⁴ I beheld to the right side, and I saw; and none there was that knew me. Flight perished from me; and none there is that seeketh (to help) my soul. (I looked to the right; and I saw, that there was no one there who knew me. I had no way to escape; there was no one to rescue me.)

⁵ Lord, I cried to thee; I said, Thou art mine hope; my part in the land of livers. (Lord, I cried to thee; I said, Thou art my only hope, my portion in the land of the living.)

⁶ Give thou attention to my beseeching; for I am made low full greatly. Deliver thou me from them that pursue me; for they be comforted on me. (Give thou attention to my plea; for I am brought down so very low. Save thou me from those who pursue me; for they be stronger than me.)

⁷ Lead my soul out of keeping to acknowledge to thy name; just men abide me, till thou yield to me. (Lead me out of this prison, so that I can praise thy name; the righteous shall gather around me, when thou shalt reward me.)

143 The psalm of David. Lord, hear thou my prayer, with ears perceive thou my beseeching; in thy truth hear thou me, in thy rightwiseness. (The song of David. Lord, hear thou my prayer, and listen thou to my plea; and answer thou me in thy faithfulness, and in thy righteousness.)

² And enter thou not into doom with thy servant; for each man living shall not be made just in thy sight. (And enter thou not into the judgement of thy servant; for no one living can be made right, or justified, before thee.)

³ For the enemy pursued my soul; he made low my life in [the] earth. He hath set me in dark places, as the dead men of the world, (For the enemy hath pursued me; and he hath brought me down low to the ground. He hath put me in dark places, like the dead of the world,)

⁴ and my spirit was anguished on me; mine heart was troubled in me. (and my spirit was anguished within me; and my heart was troubled within me.)

⁵ I was mindful of eld days, I bethought in all thy works; I bethought in the deeds of thine hands. (I remembered the old days, and I thought about all thy works; yea, I thought about the deeds of thy hands.)

⁶ I held forth mine hands to thee; my soul (was) as earth without water to thee. (I held out my hands to thee; my soul was like dry ground without water, thirsting for thee.)

⁷ Lord, hear thou me swiftly; my spirit failed. Turn thou not away thy face from me; and I shall be like them that go down into the pit. (Lord, swiftly answer thou me; for my spirit faileth/for my spirit fainteth. Turn thou not away thy face from me; or I shall be like those who go down into the pit.)

⁸ Make thou early thy mercy heard to me; for I hoped in thee. Make thou known to me the way in which I shall go; for I raised my soul to thee. (Let me know thy love in the morning; for I put my trust in thee. Let me know which way I should go; for I raise up my soul to thee.)

⁹ Deliver thou me from mine enemies; Lord, I fled to thee; (Save thou me from my enemies; Lord, I fled to thee/Lord, I flee to thee;)

¹⁰ teach thou me to do thy will, for thou art my God. Thy good spirit shall lead me forth into a rightful land; (teach thou me to do thy will, for thou art my God. Thy good spirit shall lead me forth on the right path;)

¹¹ Lord, for thy name thou shalt quicken me in thine equity. Thou shalt lead my soul out of tribulation; (Lord, for the sake of thy name, save me/let me live. And because of thy fairness, lead thou my soul out of trouble, or tribulation;)

¹² and in thy mercy thou shalt scatter mine enemies. And thou shalt lose all them, that trouble my soul; for I am thy servant. (and in thy love for me, waste thou my enemies. Yea, destroy thou all those who trouble me; for I am thy servant.)

144 A psalm of David. Blessed be my Lord God, that teacheth mine hands to war; and my fingers to battle. (A song of David. Blessed be the Lord my God, who traineth my hands for war; and my fingers for battle.)

² My mercy, and my refuge; my taker up, and my deliverer. My defender, and I hoped in him; and thou makest subject my people under me. (My mercy, and my refuge; my defender, and my deliverer. Yea, my defender, and in whom I trust; and thou makest the peoples to be subject under me.)

³ Lord, what is a man, for thou hast made (thyself) known to him; either the son of man, for thou areckonest him of some value? (Lord, what is man, that thou hast taken notice of him?/that thou carest for him? or the son of a man, that thou reckonest, or esteemest, him of some value?)

⁴ A man is made like vanity; his days pass as shadow. (A person is but like vanity, yea, but a puff of air; his days pass like a shadow.)

⁵ Lord, bow down thine heavens, and come thou down; touch thou [the] hills, and they shall make smoke.

⁶ Light thou shining, and thou shalt scatter them (Send thou forth thy lightning, and thou shalt scatter thy enemies); send thou out thine arrows, and thou shalt trouble them.

⁷ Send out thine hand from on high, ravish me out, and deliver thou me from many waters; and from the hand of alien sons. (Send out thy hand from on high, and take me out of here, that is, rescue me; save thou me from the deep waters, and from the power of foreigners, or of strangers.)

⁸ The mouth of whom spake vanity (Their mouths spoke lies); and the right hand of them is the right hand of wickedness.

⁹ God, I shall sing to thee a new song; I shall say psalm to thee in psaltery of ten strings (yea, I shall sing a song to thee to the strains of a ten-stringed lute).

¹⁰ Which givest health to kings, which again-boughtest David, thy servant; from the wicked sword ravish thou out me. (Who givest salvation, or deliverance, to kings, and redeemest thy servant David; rescue thou me from the wicked sword.)

¹¹ And deliver thou me from the hand of alien sons; the mouth of which spake vanity, and the right hand of them is the right hand of wickedness. (And save thou me from the power of foreigners, or of strangers; whose mouths spoke lies, and whose right hands be the right hands of wickedness, that is, they always break their oaths, or their pledges.)

¹² Whose sons be as new plantings in their youth. The daughters of them be arrayed; adorned about as the likeness of a temple. (May our sons be like plants fully grown in their youth; may our daughters be arrayed, or adorned, like a palace.)

¹³ The cellars of them be full; bringing out from this vessel into that/from one vessel into another. The sheep of them be with lambs, plenteous in their goings out; (May our cellars be full; and we be able to bring forth from this vessel into that one/and we be able to bring forth from one vessel into another. May our sheep be with lambs; yea, plentiful and innumerable.)

¹⁴ their kine be fat. There is no falling of their wall, neither passing over (of it); neither cry is in the streets of them. (May all our kine be fat; and be there no parting in the walls of their wombs, nor any passing over of them. And may there be no cries of distress in all our streets.)

¹⁵ They said, The people is blessed, that hath these things; blessed is the people, whose Lord is the God of it. (And so we say, Happy be the people, who have things like we do; happy be the people, whose God is the Lord.)

145 The psalm of David. My God, king, I shall enhance thee; and I shall bless thy name into the world, and into the world of world. (The song of David, to the praising of God. My God and my King, I shall exalt thee; and I shall bless thy name forever and ever.)

² By all days I shall bless thee; and I shall praise thy name into the world, and into the world of the world. (Every day I shall bless thee; and I shall praise thy name forever and ever.)

³ The Lord is great, and worthy to be praised full much; and none end there is of his greatness. (The Lord is great, and worthy to be greatly praised; and there is no end to his greatness.)

⁴ Generation and generation shall praise thy works; and they shall pronounce, either tell (a)far, thy power. (One generation shall praise thy works unto the next; and they shall declare, or shall tell of, thy power.)

⁵ They shall speak (of) the magnificence of the glory of thine holiness; and they shall tell (of all) thy marvels (and they shall declare all thy marvellous deeds).

⁶ And they shall say (of) the strength of thy fearedful things; and they shall tell (of) thy greatness.

⁷ They shall bring forth the mind of the abundance of thy sweetness; and they shall tell with full out joying (of) thy rightfulness. (They shall bring forth the remembrance of the abundance of thy goodness; and they shall sing with rejoicing about thy righteousness.)

⁸ The Lord is a merciful doer and merciful in will (The Lord is a giver of mercy, or of love, and merciful in will); patient, and much merciful.

⁹ The Lord is sweet in all things; and his merciful doings be above all his works. (The Lord is good to all; and his merciful doings be over, or upon, all his creatures.)

¹⁰ Lord, all thy works acknowledge to thee; and thy saints bless thee. (Lord, all thy creatures shall praise thee; and thy saints shall bless thee.)

¹¹ They shall say [of] the glory of thy realm; and they shall speak (of) thy power. (They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom; and they shall tell of thy power.)

¹² That they make thy power known to the sons of men (So that they make known thy power to all the people); and the glory of the magnificence of thy realm.

¹³ Thy realm is the realm of all worlds; and thy lordship is in all generation and into generation (Thy kingdom is a kingdom forever; and thy lordship, or thy rule, is for all generations). The Lord is faithful in all his words; and holy in all his works.

¹⁴ The Lord lifteth up all that fall down; and raiseth up all men hurtled down. (The Lord lifteth up all who fall down; and raiseth up all who be hurtled down.)

¹⁵ Lord, the eyes of all beasts hope in thee; and thou givest the meat of them in covenable time. (Lord, the eyes of all look with hope to thee; and thou givest them their food at the proper time.)

¹⁶ Thou openest thine hand; and thou [ful]fillest each beast with blessing. (Thou openest thy hand; and thou fulfillest each living creature with blessing/with what they need, or desire.)

¹⁷ The Lord is just in all his ways; and holy in all his works.

¹⁸ The Lord is nigh to all that inwardly call him; to all that inwardly call him in truth. (The Lord is near, or close, to all who call to him; to all who call to him in truth, or with sincerity.)

¹⁹ He shall do the will of them, that dread him; and he shall hear the beseeching of them, and he shall make them safe. (He shall fulfill the desires of those who fear him/of those who revere him; he shall hear their pleas, and he shall save them.)

²⁰ The Lord keepeth all men loving him; and he shall lose all sinners. (The Lord keepeth safe all those who love him; but he shall destroy all the sinners.)

²¹ My mouth shall speak the praising of the Lord; and each man bless his holy name into the world, and into the world of world. (My mouth shall declare the praises of the Lord; let everyone bless his holy name forever and ever.)

146 Alleluia. My soul, praise thou the Lord;

² I shall praise the Lord in my life (I shall praise the Lord all my life); I shall sing to my God as long as I shall be.

³ Do not ye trust in princes; neither in the sons of men, in whom is no health. (Do not ye trust in princes, or in your leaders; nor in other people, in whom there is no help, or deliverance.)

⁴ The spirit of him shall go out, and he shall turn again into his earth; in that day all the thoughts of them shall perish. (The breath of your prince, or of your leader, shall go out of him, and he shall return to the dust; and on that day all his thoughts shall perish.)

⁵ He is blessed, of whom the God of Jacob is his helper; his hope is in his Lord God, (He is blessed, whom the God of Jacob is his helper; his hope is in the Lord his God,)

⁶ that made heaven, and earth; the sea, and all things that be in those. Which keepeth truth into the world, (who made heaven, and earth; and the sea, and all the creatures that be in them. Who keepeth the truth safe forever,)

⁷ he maketh doom to them that suffer wrong; he giveth meat to them that be hungry. The Lord unbindeth fettered men; (he maketh justice for those who suffer wrong; he giveth food to those who be hungry. The Lord unbindeth the fettered;)

⁸ the Lord lighteneth blind men. The Lord raiseth men hurtled down; the Lord loveth just men. (the Lord giveth light to the blind/the Lord giveth sight to the blind. The Lord raiseth up those who be hurtled down; the Lord loveth the righteous.)

⁹ The Lord keepeth comelings; he shall take up a motherless child, and a widow; and he shall destroy the ways of sinners. (The Lord keepeth newcomers, or strangers, safe/The Lord keepeth watch over newcomers, or strangers; he taketh up the causes of a motherless child, and of a widow; but he destroyeth the ways of the sinners.)

¹⁰ The Lord shall reign into the worlds; Zion, thy God shall reign in generation and into generation. (The Lord shall reign forever; Zion, thy God shall reign for all generations/thy God shall reign in all generations.)

147 Alleluia. Praise ye the Lord, for the psalm is good; (let our) praising be merry, and fair to our God. (Alleluia. Praise ye the Lord, for it is good to sing to him; let our praises be joyful, and pleasing to our God.)

² The Lord shall build [up] Jerusalem; and he shall gather together the scatterings of Israel. (The Lord shall rebuild Jerusalem; and he shall gather together the scattered people of Israel.)

³ The which Lord maketh whole men contrite in heart; and bindeth together the sorrows of them. (The Lord who maketh whole those who be contrite in heart, or who be broken-hearted; and who bindeth up their wounds.)

⁴ Which numbereth the multitude of stars; and calleth names to all those. (Who numbereth the multitude of the stars; and calleth all of them by their names.)

⁵ Our Lord is great, and his virtue is great; and of his wisdom there is no number. (Our Lord is great, and his power is great; and there is no measure of his wisdom.)

⁶ The Lord taketh up mild men; forsooth he maketh low sinners till to the earth. (The Lord raiseth up the meek, or the humble; but he bringeth the sinners down to the ground.)

⁷ Before sing ye to the Lord in acknowledging; say ye psalm to our God in an harp. (Sing ye to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing ye songs to our God on a harp.)

⁸ Which covereth heaven with clouds; and maketh ready rain to the earth. Which bringeth forth hay in hills; and herb to the service of men. (Who covereth the heavens with clouds; and prepareth rain for the earth. Who bringeth forth hay, or grass, on the hills; and plants for the service of all.)

⁹ Which giveth meat to their work beasts; and to the birds of crows calling him. (Who giveth food to their work beasts; and to the younglings of crows calling to him.)

¹⁰ He shall not have will in the strength of an horse; neither it shall be well pleasant to him in the legs of a man. (He shall not take delight in the strength of a horse; nor shall a man’s fast legs be well pleasing to him.)

¹¹ It is well pleasant to the Lord on men that dread him; and in them that hope in his mercy. (But the Lord is well pleased with those who fear him/with those who revere him; and with those who trust in his love.)

¹² Jerusalem, praise thou the Lord; Zion, praise thou thy God.

¹³ For he hath comforted the locks of thy gates; he hath blessed thy sons in thee. (For he hath strengthened the locks of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within them.)

¹⁴ Which hath set thy coasts peace (He who hath put thy land at peace); and filleth thee with the fatness of wheat.

¹⁵ Which sendeth out his speech to the earth; his word runneth swiftly. (Who sendeth out his word, or his command, to the earth; yea, his word runneth swiftly about.)

¹⁶ Which giveth snow as wool; he spreadeth abroad a cloud as ashes. (Who giveth the snow like wool; and he spreadeth abroad the hoarfrost like ashes.)

¹⁷ He sendeth his crystal as morsels; who shall be able to suffer before the face of his coldness? (He sendeth out his ice like morsels; yea, who can survive the cold that he sendeth?)

¹⁸ He shall send out his word, and shall melt those; his spirit shall blow, and waters shall flow. (And then he sendeth out his word, and the ice melteth; and his wind bloweth, and the waters flow.)

¹⁹ Which telleth his word to Jacob; and his rightfulnesses and dooms to Israel. (Who telleth his word to Jacob; yea, his statutes and his laws, or his decrees, to Israel.)

²⁰ He did not so to each nation; and he showed not his dooms to them. (He hath not done this for any other nation; he hath not shown his laws, or his decrees, to them.)

148 Alleluia. Ye of heavens, praise the Lord; praise ye him in high things. (Alleluia. Ye in heaven/Ye in the heavens, praise the Lord; praise ye him in high places.)

² All his angels, praise ye him; all his virtues, praise ye him (all his hosts, praise ye him).

³ Sun and moon, praise ye him; all stars and light, praise ye him (all the stars of light/all the shining stars, praise ye him.).

⁴ Heavens of heavens, praise ye him (Heaven of heavens/The highest heaven, praise ye him); and the waters that be above (the) heavens,

⁵ praise they the name of the Lord. For he said, and things were made; he commanded, and things were made of nought (he commanded, and everything was made out of nothing).

⁶ He ordained those things into the world, and into the world of world; he setted a commandment, and it shall not pass. (He ordained those things forever and ever; he gave a command, and it shall not pass away.)

⁷ Ye of the earth, praise the Lord; dragons, and all depths of waters. (Praise the Lord, from the earth; ye dragons, and all the depths of the waters.)

⁸ Fire, hail, snow, ice, spirits of tempests; that do his word. (Fire, hail, snow, ice, and the winds of the tempests; that all follow his command.)

⁹ Mountains, and all little hills; trees bearing fruit, and all cedars.

¹⁰ Wild beasts, and all tame beasts; serpents, and feathered birds.

¹¹ The kings of earth, and all peoples; the princes, and all judges of earth. (The kings of the earth, and all the peoples; the princes, and the judges, that is, the leaders, over all the earth.)

¹² Young men, and virgins, eld men with [the] younger, (Young men, and virgins, old men, and the young,)

¹³ praise the name of the Lord; for the name of him alone is enhanced. His acknowledging be on heaven and earth; (praise the name of the Lord; for only his name should be exalted. For his glory is above the earth, and above heaven;)

¹⁴ and he hath enhanced the horn of his people. An hymn be to all his saints; to the children of Israel, to a people nighing to him. (and he hath exalted the horn of his people. So let there be a hymn to all his saints; to the children of Israel, to the people who be the closest to him/So let there be praises from all his saints; from the children of Israel, from the people who be the closest to him.)

149 Alleluia. Sing ye to the Lord a new song; his praising be in the church of saints. (Alleluia. Sing ye a new song to the Lord; let his praises be in the congregation of his saints.)

² Israel be glad in him that made him; and the daughters of Zion make full out joy in their king. (Let the people of Israel be glad in him, who made them; and let the daughters of Zion rejoice in their King.)

³ Praise they his name in a quire; say they psalm to him in a tympan, and psaltery. (Praise they his name with a dance; sing they songs to him with a tympan, or with a drum, and a lute./Praise they his name with dancing; sing they songs to him with a tambourine, and a lute.)

⁴ For the Lord is well pleased in his people; and he hath raised mild men into health. (For the Lord is well pleased with his people; and he hath raised up the meek to victory/and he hath given salvation, or deliverance, to the humble.)

⁵ Saints shall make full out joy in glory; they shall be glad in their beds. (The saints shall rejoice in triumph; they shall sing joyfully all night long.)

⁶ The full out joyings of God in the throat of them; and swords sharp on both sides in the hands of them. (Let there be rejoicing for God on their lips/in their mouths; and let sharp swords be in their hands.)

⁷ To do vengeance in nations; and blamings in peoples. (To bring vengeance to the nations; and to punish the peoples.)

⁸ To bind the kings of them in stocks; and the noble men of them in iron manacles. (To bind up their kings in the stocks; and their noble men in iron manacles.)

⁹ That they make in them (the) doom written; this is the glory to all his saints. (So that they execute the judgement written against them; this is the glory for all his saints.)

150 Alleluia. Praise ye the Lord in his saints; praise ye him in the firmament of his virtue. (Alleluia. Praise ye the Lord in his sanctuary; praise ye him in the firmament of his power/praise ye him in his mighty heavens.)

² Praise ye him in his virtues; praise ye him by the multitude of his greatness. (Praise ye him for his mighty works; praise ye him for the abundance of his greatness.)

³ Praise ye him in the sound of a trump; praise ye him in a psaltery and harp. (Praise ye him with the sound of a trumpet; praise ye him with a lute and a harp.)

⁴ Praise ye him in a tympan and quire; praise ye him in strings and organ. (Praise ye him with a tympan, or a drum, and a dance/Praise ye him with a tambourine, and dancing; praise ye him with strings and an organ.)

⁵ Praise ye him in cymbals sounding well, praise ye him in cymbals of jubilation; (Praise ye him with good-sounding cymbals, yea, praise ye him with cymbals of jubilation;)

⁶ each spirit, praise the Lord. (every creature that hath breath, praise the Lord. Amen.)

1 The parables of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel; (The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, the king of Israel;)

² to know wisdom and knowing (to know wisdom and knowledge); to understand the words of prudence;

³ and to take the learning of teaching; to take rightfulness, and doom, and equity; (and to receive learning from teaching, or from instruction; to gain righteousness, and judgement, or justice, and fairness;)

⁴ that fellness, or wariness, be given to little children, and knowing and understanding to a young waxing man. (so that cleverness, and caution, be given to people of little wit, or of low intelligence, and knowledge and understanding to a young growing man.)

⁵ A wise man hearing shall be the wiser; and a man (of) understanding shall hold governance. (A wise person listening shall become wiser; and a person understanding shall gain skills, or abilities.)

⁶ He shall perceive a parable, and the expounding; the words of wise men, and the dark figurative speeches of them. (He shall understand a proverb, and its expounding, or its explanation; yea, the words of the wise, and their riddles.)

⁷ The dread of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; fools despise wisdom and teaching. (The fear of the Lord/Reverence for the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; but fools despise wisdom and teaching.)

⁸ My son, hear thou the teaching of thy father, and forsake thou not the law of thy mother; (My son, listen thou to thy father’s teaching; and do not thou abandon thy mother’s principles;)

⁹ (so) that grace be added, either increased, to thine head, and a band to thy neck. (so that favour be added unto thee, and a band of honour be put about thy neck.)

¹⁰ My son, if sinners flatter thee, assent thou not to them.

¹¹ If they say, Come thou with us, set we ambush to shed (out) blood, hide we snares of deceits against an innocent (person) without cause;

¹² swallow we him, as hell swalloweth a man living; and all-whole, as (those) going down into a pit; (we shall swallow him up, like Sheol swalloweth up the living; yea, all-whole, like those going down into the pit;)

¹³ we shall find all precious chattel, (or possessions,) we shall fill our houses with spoils;

¹⁴ put thou lot with us, one purse be there of us all; (put thou thy lot with us, and let there be one purse for us all;)

¹⁵ my son, go thou not with them; forbid thy foot from the paths of them (do not let thy foot go onto their paths).

¹⁶ For the feet of them run to evil; and they hasten to shed out blood.

¹⁷ But a net is laid in vain before the eyes of birds, that have wings.

¹⁸ Also they set ambush against their own blood; and make ready frauds, or guiles, against their (own) souls.

¹⁹ So the paths of each avaricious man ravish, or take away, the souls of them that wield (them).

²⁰ Wisdom preacheth withoutforth; in streets it giveth his voice. (Wisdom preacheth outside; yea, it raiseth up its voice in the streets.)

²¹ It crieth oft in the head of companies; in the leaves of [the] gates of the city it bringeth forth his words, and saith, (It crieth often at the tops of the streets; and at the leaves of the gates of the city, it bringeth forth its words, and saith,)

²² How long, little men in wit, love young childhood, and fools shall covet those things, that be harmful to themselves, and unprudent men shall hate knowing? (How long, ye of little wit, or of low intelligence, shall ye love foolishness, and shall fools desire those things that be harmful to themselves, and shall the imprudent hate knowledge, or understanding?)

²³ Be ye converted at my reproving (Be ye changed by my rebukes); lo, I shall bring forth to you my spirit, and I shall show (you) my words.

²⁴ For I called, and ye forsook; I held forth mine hand, and none there was that beheld. (For I called, but you would not listen to me; I held forth my hand, but no one paid any attention to it.)

²⁵ Ye have despised all my counsel; and charged not my blamings (and would not listen to my rebukes).

²⁶ And I shall laugh in your perishing; and I shall scorn you, when that, that ye dread, cometh to you. (And so I shall laugh at your misfortune, or at your tribulation; and I shall scorn you, when what ye fear, cometh to you.)

²⁷ When sudden wretchedness falleth in, and perishing befalleth as (a) tempest; when tribulation and anguish cometh [up]on you.

²⁸ Then they shall call me, and I shall not hear (but I shall not answer them); they shall rise early, and they shall not find me.

²⁹ For they hated teaching, and they took not the dread of the Lord, (For they hated instruction, and they chose not to fear the Lord/and they chose not to have reverence for the Lord,)

³⁰ neither they assented to my counsel, and they depraved all mine amending. (nor would they assent to my advice, and they have spurned all of my correction.)

³¹ Therefore they shall eat the fruits of their (own) way; and they shall be filled with their (own) counsels.

³² The turning away of little men in wit shall slay them; and the prosperity of fools shall lose them. (This turning away by those with little wit, or with low intelligence, shall lead to their own slaughter, yea, the prosperity of fools shall bring about their own destruction.)

³³ But he that heareth me, shall rest without dread; and he shall use abundance, when the dread of evils is taken away. (But he who listeneth to me, shall rest without fear; and he shall enjoy his abundance, when the fear of evil is taken away.)

2 My son, if thou receivest my words, and hidest my behests with thee (and hidest my commands with thee);

² (so) that thine ear hear wisdom, bow (down) thine heart to know prudence.

³ For if thou inwardly callest (to) wisdom, and bowest thine heart to(ward) prudence;

⁴ if thou seekest it as money, and diggest it out as treasures;

⁵ then thou shalt understand the dread of the Lord, and shalt find the knowing of God. (then thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord/then thou shalt understand reverence for the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God.)

⁶ For the Lord giveth wisdom; and prudence and knowing is of his mouth. (For the Lord giveth wisdom; and understanding and knowledge cometh from his mouth.)

⁷ He shall keep the health of rightful men, and he shall defend them that go simply. (He shall keep safe the salvation, or the deliverance, of the righteous, and he shall defend those who go with honesty, or with integrity.)

⁸ And he shall keep (safe) the paths of rightwiseness, and he shall keep (safe) the ways of holy men.

⁹ Then thou shalt understand rightfulness, and doom, and equity, and each good path. (Then thou shalt understand righteousness, and judgement, and fairness, and each good way.)

¹⁰ If wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowing pleaseth thy soul,

¹¹ good counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall keep thee; (good advice shall keep thee safe, and understanding shall keep thee safe;)

¹² (so) that thou be delivered from an evil way, and from a man that speaketh wayward things (and from the person who speaketh wicked things).

¹³ Which forsake a rightful way (Yea, from those who abandon the right way), and go by dark ways;

¹⁴ which be glad, when they have done evil, and make full out joy in worst things; (who be glad, when they have done evil, and rejoice in the worst things;)

¹⁵ whose ways be wayward, and their goings be of evil fame. (whose ways be wicked, and whose deeds be shameful.)

¹⁶ That thou be delivered from an alien woman, and from a strange woman, that maketh soft her words; (And so that thou be rescued from a strange, or an unknown, woman, who maketh her words soft;)

¹⁷ and (who) forsaketh the duke, or (the) leader, of her time of marriage, and hath forgotten the covenant of her God.

¹⁸ For the house of her is bowed to death, and her paths to hell. (For her house is on the way to death, and her paths lead down to Sheol, or the land of the dead/and her paths lead down to hell.)

¹⁹ All that enter to her, shall not turn again, neither they shall catch the paths of life. (All who go to her, shall never return, nor shall they ever walk again on the paths of life.)

²⁰ That thou go in a good way, and keep the paths of just men. (So see that thou go on a good way, and keep to the paths of the righteous.)

²¹ Forsooth they that be rightful, shall dwell in the land; and simple men shall perfectly dwell therein. (For they who be upright, shall live in the land; and those who be honest/and those with integrity shall live there.)

²² But unfaithful men shall be lost from the land; and they that do wickedly, shall be taken away from it. (But the unfaithful shall be destroyed from off the land; and those who do wickedly, shall be taken away from it.)

3 My son, forget thou not my law; and thine heart keep my commandments.

² For they shall set to thee the length of days, and the years of life, and peace.

³ Mercy and truth forsake thee not; bind thou those to thy throat, and write them in the tables of thine heart. (Let not mercy and truth desert thee; bind thou them about thy neck, and write them on the tablets of thy heart.)

⁴ And thou shalt find grace (And thou shalt receive favour), and good teaching before God and men.

⁵ Have thou trust in the Lord, of all thine heart; and lean thou not to thy prudence. (Have thou trust in the Lord, with all thy heart, and lean thou not unto thy own understanding.)

⁶ In all thy ways think on him, and he shall (ad)dress thy goings. (In all thy ways, or in all thy deeds, think of him, and he shall direct thy steps.)

⁷ Be thou not wise with thyself; dread thou God, and go away from evil. (Do not think thyself wise; but fear God/but revere God, and go thou away from evil.)

⁸ For why health shall be in thy navel, and moisting of thy bones. (For that shall be health for thy body, or thy entrails, and moistening for thy bones.)

⁹ Honour thou the Lord of thy chattel, and of the best of all thy fruits give thou to poor men; (Honour thou the Lord with thy possessions, and with the best of all thy fruits, or of all thy earnings;)

¹⁰ and (then) thy barns shall be filled with abundance, and thy pressers shall flow with wine (and thy winepresses shall flow with wine).

¹¹ My son, cast thou not away the teaching of the Lord; and fail thou not, when thou art chastised of him (and faint thou not/and spurn thou him not, when thou art disciplined by him).

¹² For the Lord chastiseth him, whom he loveth; and as a father in the son he pleaseth him (yea, like a father to his son who pleaseth him).

¹³ Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and that floweth with prudence. (Blessed is the person who findeth wisdom, and who floweth with understanding.)

¹⁴ The getting thereof is better than the merchandise of gold and of silver; the fruits thereof be the first and the cleanest.

¹⁵ It is more precious than all riches; and all things that be desired, may not be comparisoned to this (and nothing that is desired, can be compared to it).

¹⁶ Length of days is in the right half thereof, and riches and glory be in the left half thereof. (Length of days is in its right hand, and riches and glory be in its left hand.)

¹⁷ The ways thereof be fair ways, and all the paths thereof be peaceable. (Its way be fair ways, and all its paths be peaceful.)

¹⁸ It is a tree of life to them that take (hold of) it; and he that holdeth (onto) it, is blessed.

¹⁹ The Lord founded the earth by (his) wisdom; he stablished (the) heavens by (his) prudence.

²⁰ The depths of waters brake out by his wisdom; and (the) clouds waxed (al)together with dew.

²¹ My son, these things float not away from thine eyes; keep thou my law, and my counsel; (My son, let not these things float away from thine eyes; keep thou my instructions, and my advice, near to thee;)

²² and life shall be to thy soul, and grace to thy cheeks. (and thou shalt have life, and gain favour.)

²³ Then thou shalt go trustily in thy way (Then thou shalt go with trust on thy way); and thy foot shall not stumble.

²⁴ If thou shalt sleep, thou shalt not dread; thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be soft [and sweet shall be thy sleep]. (When thou shalt sleep, thou shalt not fear; thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be sweet.)

²⁵ Dread thou not of sudden fear, and the powers of wicked men falling in on thee. (Fear thou not sudden disaster, and the power, or the might, of the wicked falling in upon thee.)

²⁶ For the Lord shall be at thy side; and he shall keep thy foot (safe), that thou be not taken.

²⁷ Do not thou forbid to do well him that may; if thou mayest, also do thou well. (Do not thou forbid anyone to do good who can; and if thou be able, thou do good as well.)

²⁸ Say thou not to thy friend, Go, and turn again, and tomorrow I shall give to thee; when thou mayest give anon. (Say thou not to thy friend, Go away, and return tomorrow, and then I shall give you what you need; when thou can give it to him at once.)

²⁹ Imagine thou not evil to thy friend (Imagine thou not evil against thy friend), when he hath trust in thee.

³⁰ Strive thou not against a man without cause, when he doeth none evil to thee. (Do not thou argue with someone for no reason, when he hath done nothing wrong to thee.)

³¹ Follow thou not an unjust man (Do not thou follow a law-breaker), follow thou not his ways.

³² For each deceiver is (an) abomination to the Lord; and his speaking is with simple men (and the Lord speaketh to those who be honest, or have integrity).

³³ Neediness is sent of the Lord in(to) the house of a wicked man; but the dwelling places of just men shall be blessed. (Neediness is sent by the Lord into the houses of the wicked; but the dwelling places of the righteous shall be blessed.)

³⁴ He shall scorn [the] scorners; and he shall give grace to mild men. (He shall mock the mockers; but he shall give favour to the humble, or to the meek.)

³⁵ Wise men shall have glory; [the] enhancing of fools is shame. (The wise shall receive honour; but fools shall only increase their shame.)

4 Sons, hear ye the teaching of your father; and perceive ye (and understand ye), (so) that ye know prudence.

² I shall give to you a good gift; forsake ye not my law. (I give you a good gift; do not ye abandon my instructions.)

³ For why and I was the son of my father, a tender son, and one begotten, before my mother. (For I was my father’s son, a tender son, and my mother’s only child.)

⁴ And my father taught me, and said, Thine heart receive my words; keep thou my behests (obey my commands), and thou shalt live.

⁵ Wield thou wisdom, wield thou prudence; forget thou not, neither bow thou away from the words of my mouth.

⁶ Forsake thou not it, and it shall keep thee (safe); love thou it, and it shall keep thee (safe).

⁷ The beginning of wisdom, wield thou wisdom; and in all thy possession, get thou prudence. (The beginning of wisdom, is that thou first obtain wisdom; and among all thy possessions, of greatest importance is that thou get understanding.)

⁸ Take thou it, and it shall enhance thee; thou shalt be glorified of it, when thou hast embraced it. (Take thou it unto thy heart, and it shall advance thee, or shall promote thee, or raise thee up; thou shalt be honoured, when thou hast embraced it.)

⁹ It shall give increasings of graces to thine head; and a noble crown shall defend thee. (It shall bring many favours upon thee; and they shall adorn thee like a noble crown.)

¹⁰ My son, hear thou, and take my words (to heart); (so) that the years of (thy) life be multiplied to thee.

¹¹ I shall show to thee the way of wisdom; and I shall lead thee by the paths of equity (and I shall lead thee on the fair ways).

¹² Into which when thou hast entered, thy goings shall not be made strait; and thou shalt run, and shalt not have hurting (and thou shalt not be caused to stumble).

¹³ Hold thou (fast to my) teaching, and forsake [thou] it not; keep thou it (near), for it is thy life.

¹⁴ Delight thou not in the paths of wicked men; and the way of evil men please not thee. (Delight thou not in the paths of the wicked; and do not let the ways of evil people please thee.)

¹⁵ Flee thou from it, and pass thou not thereby; bow thou away, and forsake it.

¹⁶ For they sleep not, no but they have done evil; and sleep is ravished from them, no but they have deceived simple men. (For they do not sleep, unless first they have done some evil; and sleep is taken from them, unless first they have deceived those who be honest, or have integrity.)

¹⁷ They eat the bread of unpiety, and drink the wine of wickedness. (They eat evil bread, and drink wicked wine.)

¹⁸ But the path of just men goeth forth as light shining (But the path of the righteous goeth forth like a shining light), and increaseth till to perfect day.

¹⁹ The way of wicked men is dark (The way of the wicked is dark); they know not where, (or when,) they shall fall.

²⁰ My son, harken thou (to) my words; and bow down thine ears to my speeches.

²¹ Go not they away from thine eyes (Let them not go away from thine eyes); keep thou them in the middle of thine heart.

²² For those be life to men finding those, and health of all flesh. (For they be life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.)

²³ With all (safe) keeping keep thine heart (safe), for life cometh forth of it (for life cometh forth from it).

²⁴ Remove thou a shrewd mouth from thee (Do not thou speak depraved things); and backbiting lips be far from thee.

²⁵ Thine eyes see rightful things; and thine eyelids go before thy steps.

²⁶ (Ad)dress thou [the] paths to thy feet (Direct thou the steps of thy feet), and all thy ways shall be stablished.

²⁷ Bow thou not to the right side, neither to the left side; turn away thy foot from evil.

5 My son, perceive thou my wisdom, and bow down thine ear to my prudence; (My son, pay attention to my wisdom, and listen to my understanding of things;)

² (so) that thou keep thy thoughts (proper), and thy lips keep teaching (and thy lips speak knowingly).

³ Give thou not attention to the falseness of a woman; for the lips of an whore be an honeycomb dropping (for a whore’s lips be like a dripping honeycomb), and her throat is clearer than oil;

⁴ but the last things [of her] be (as) bitter as wormwood, and her tongue is (as) sharp as a sword carving, (or cutting,) on each side.

⁵ Her feet go down into death; and her steps pierce to hells. (Her feet go downward unto death; and her steps shall lead thee unto Sheol, or the land of the dead/and her steps shall lead thee to hell.)

⁶ Those go not by the path of life; her steps be uncertain, and may not be sought out. (They do not go on the path of life; her steps be uncertain, and should not be followed.)

⁷ Now therefore, my son, hear thou me (And so now, my son, listen to me), and go thou not away from the words of my mouth.

⁸ Make far thy way from her (Make thy way far away from her), and nigh thou not to the doors of her house.

⁹ Give thou not thine honour to aliens (Give thou not thy honour to strangers), and thy years to the cruel;

¹⁰ lest peradventure strangers be filled with thy strengths, and lest (the rewards of) thy travails be in an alien’s house; (lest perhaps strangers take all thy wealth, and the rewards of all thy efforts be in someone else’s house;)

¹¹ and thou bewail in the last days, when thou hast wasted thy flesh, and thy body;

¹² and say, Why loathed I teaching, and mine heart assented not to blamings; (and thou say, Why did I loathe discipline, and why did I not listen to rebukes;)

¹³ neither I heard the voice of men teaching me, and I bowed not down mine ear to masters?

¹⁴ Almost I was in all-evil, in the midst of the church, and of the synagogue. (I was almost uniformly despised, in the midst of the congregation, and among those in the assembly.)

¹⁵ Drink thou water of thy cistern, and the floods of thy well. (Drink thou water from thy own cistern, and out-flowings from thy own well.)

¹⁶ Thy wells be streamed forth; and part thy waters in streets. (Let thy well floweth forth; and let thy water be parted in the streets.)

¹⁷ Have thou alone them; and aliens be not thy partners. (Have thou them alone; and let not strangers be thy partners.)

¹⁸ Thy vein be blessed (Let thy fountain be blessed); and be thou glad with the woman of thy young waxing age.

¹⁹ An hind most dearworthy; and an hart calf most acceptable. Her teats fill thee in all time; and delight thou continually in the love of her. (She is like a most dearworthy deer; and a most acceptable hart calf. Let her breasts fulfill, or satisfy, thee at all times; and delight thou continually in her love.)

²⁰ My son, why art thou deceived of an alien woman; and art fostered in the bosom of another? (My son, why art thou deceived by a strange, or an unknown, woman; and why art thou comforted in the bosom of another?)

²¹ The Lord seeth the way(s) of a man; and he beholdeth all his steps.

²² The wickednesses of a wicked man take (hold of) him; and he is bound with the ropes of his sins.

²³ He shall die, for he had not learning (He shall die, for he had no discipline); and he shall be deceived in the muchliness of his folly.

6 My son, if thou hast promised for thy friend, thou hast fastened thine hand at a stranger. (My son, if thou hast pledged yourself, or made a guarantee, for thy friend, then thou hast fastened thy hand to a stranger.)

² Thou art bound by the words of thy mouth; and thou art taken with thine own words (and thou art caught by thy own words, or thy promises).

³ Therefore, my son, do thou that that I say, and deliver thyself; for thou hast fallen into the hand of thy neighbour. Run thou about, haste thou, raise thy friend; (And so my son, do thou what I say, and save thyself; for thou hast fallen into the hand of thy neighbour. Run thou about, haste thou, implore thy friend;)

⁴ give thou not sleep to thine eyes, neither (let) thine eyelids nap.

⁵ Be thou ravished, as a doe from the hand; and as a bird from [the] ambushings of the fowler. (Be thou released, like a doe from the hand of the hunter; and like a bird from the ambush of the fowler.)

⁶ O! thou slow man (O! thou lazy one), go to the ant; and behold thou his ways, and learn thou wisdom.

⁷ Which when he hath no duke, neither commander, nor prince (nor leader);

⁸ maketh ready in summer meat to himself, and gathereth together in harvest that, that he shall eat. (prepareth food for himself in the summer, and gathereth together at harvest time what he shall eat.)

⁹ How long shalt thou, slow man, sleep? (How long shalt thou, O lazy one, sleep?) when shalt thou rise from thy sleep?

¹⁰ A little thou shalt sleep, a little thou shalt nap; (and) a little thou shalt join together thine hands that thou sleep (again).

¹¹ And then neediness, as a waygoer, shall come to thee; and poverty, as an armed man. Forsooth if thou art not slow (But if thou art not lazy), thy ripe corn shall come as a well; and neediness shall flee far from thee.

¹² A man apostate, a man unprofitable, (is) he (who) goeth with a wayward mouth;

¹³ he beckoneth with (the) eyes, he trampeth with the foot, he speaketh with the finger,

¹⁴ by shrewd heart he imagineth evil, and in all time he soweth dissensions. (with a depraved heart he imagineth all kinds of evil, and at all times he soweth discord.)

¹⁵ His perdition shall come to him anon, and he shall be broken suddenly; and he shall no more have medicine. (His perdition shall come upon him at once, and suddenly he shall be broken; and then he shall be without any remedy.)

¹⁶ Six things there be, which the Lord hateth; and his soul curseth the seventh thing.

¹⁷ High eyes, a tongue liar, that is, accustomable to deadly leasing (a lying tongue, that is, one accustomed to deadly lies), hands shedding out innocent blood,

¹⁸ an heart imagining full wicked thoughts, feet swift to run into evil (feet quick to run to evil),

¹⁹ a man bringing forth leasing, a false witness; and him that soweth discord among brethren. (a liar, that is, a false witness; and he who soweth discord among brothers, or among friends.)

²⁰ My son, keep the commandments of thy father; and forsake [thou] not the law of thy mother. (My son, obey thy father’s commands; and do not thou abandon thy mother’s instructions.)

²¹ Bind thou those continually in thine heart; and encompass to thy throat. (Bind thou them continually to thy heart; and tie them about thy neck.)

²² When thou goest, go they with thee; when thou sleepest, keep they thee (safe); and thou waking, speak with them.

²³ For the commandment of God is a lantern, and the law is light, and the blaming of teaching is the way of life; (For the commandment of God is a lantern, and the Law is a light, and the rebukes of discipline pointeth to the way of life;)

²⁴ (so) that they keep thee from an evil woman, and from a flattering tongue of a strange woman.

²⁵ Thine heart covet not the fairness of her; neither be thou taken (in) by the beckonings of her. (Do not let thy heart desire her beauty; nor be thou taken in by her beckonings.)

²⁶ For the price of a whore is scarcely a gobbet of bread; but (such) a woman taketh (away) the precious soul of a man.

²⁷ Whether a man may hide fire in his bosom, that his clothes burn not; (Can a man hide fire in his bosom, and his clothes not burn?)

²⁸ either go on coals, and his feet be not burnt? (or go upon coals, and his feet not be burned?)

²⁹ So he that entereth to the wife of his neighbour; (he) shall not be clean, when he hath touched her.

³⁰ It is no great sin, when a man stealeth; for he stealeth to fill an hungry soul.

³¹ And he taken shall yield the seventhfold (And if he is caught, he shall give back sevenfold); and he shall give all the chattel of his house, and (so he) shall deliver himself.

³² But he that is an adulterer, shall lose his soul, for the poverty of heart, that is, (for the) wanting of reason.

³³ He gathereth filth, and scandal to himself; and his shame shall not be done away.

³⁴ For the fervent love and strong vengeance of the man shall not spare in the day of vengeance, (For the husband’s fervent love, and desire for revenge, shall not spare him on the day of vengeance,)

³⁵ neither shall (the husband) assent to the prayers of any; neither he shall take many gifts for ransom (nor shall he take any number of gifts for recompense).