Prepare thy work without, And make it ready for thee in the field; And afterwards build thy house.

Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause; And deceive not with thy lips.

So shall thy poverty come as a robber, And thy want as an armed man.

For better it is that it be said to thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldst be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thy eyes have seen.

Go not forth hastily to strive, Lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, When thy neighbor hath put thee to shame.

Debate thy cause with thy neighbor himself , And disclose not the secret of another;

Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thy infamy turn not away.

Honey thou hast found -- eat thy sufficiency, Lest thou be satiated with it, and hast vomited it.

Let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbor's house, Lest he be weary of thee, and hate thee.

If thy enemy shall hunger, give him bread to eat; and if he shall thirst, give him water to drink:

Make not thy boast of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what may happen today.

Let another man praise thee, and not thy own mouth; a stranger, and not thy own lips.

Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; And go not to thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, And look well to thy herds:

The lambs are for thy clothing, And the goats are the price of the field;

And there will be goats milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, And maintenance for thy maidens.

Correct thy son, and he will give thee rest; Yea, he will give delight unto thy soul.

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, Or if thou hast thought evil, Lay thy hand upon thy mouth.

Give not thy strength unto women, Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

Open thy mouth for the dumb, In the cause of all such as are left desolate.

Open thy mouth, judge righteously, And minister justice to the poor and needy.