1For he coveteth not the multitude of sons unfaithful and unprofitable.
2Be thou not glad in wicked or unpious sons, if they be multiplied; neither delight thou on (or in) them, if the dread of God is not in them.
3Believe thou not to (or in) the life of them, and behold thou not into the travails of them. For why better is one dreading God, than a thousand wicked or unpious sons. And it is more profitable to die without sons, than to leave wicked or unpious sons.
4A country shall be inhabited of (or by) one witty man; and it shall be made (a) desert of (or by) three wicked men.
5Mine eye saw many other things, and mine ear heard stronger things than these.
6Fire shall burn on high in the synagogue of sinners, and ire shall burn on high in a folk unbelieveful.
7Eld or Old giants that were destroyed, trusting on their virtue (or in their own strength), prayed not for their sins;
8and God spared not the pilgrim-age of them, that is, their life, which is a pilgrimage (here) on earth, but he killed or smote them, and cursed them, for the pride of their word(s).
9He had not mercy on them, and he lost or destroying all the folk enhancing (or exalting) themselves in their sins.
10And as he killed six hundred thousand of footmen, that were gather-ed together in the hardness of their heart(s), that is, rebelty (or in rebellion) against God;
11and if one had been hard-nolled, (it is a) wonder if he had been guilt-less. For why mercy and ire or wrath is with him; prayer is mighty, and shedding out ire or pouring out wrath.
12By, or After, (or According to) his mercy, so is the chastising of each man; he is deemed by, or he deemeth a man after, (or according to) his works.
13A sinner in (or with his) raven shall not escape; and the sufferance of him that doeth mercy shall not tarry.
14All mercy shall make (a) place to (or for) each man, after the merit of his works, and after the understanding of his pilgrimage.
15(This verse is omitted in the original text.)
16(This verse is omitted in the original text.)
17Say thou not, I shall be hid from God; and from the highest, that is, heaven, who shall have mind on me? Say thou not, I shall not be known in (such) a great (number of) people; for why which or what is my soul in so great a (number of) creature(s)?
18Lo! heaven, and the heavens of heavens, the great ocean, or (the) deepness, and all the earth, and those things that be in those or in them, shall be moved in his sight (or by his presence);
19(the) mountains (al)together, and (the) little hills, and the foundaments (or the foundations) of (the) earth; and when God beholdeth those or them, those or they shall be shaken (al)to-gether with trembling.
20And in all these things the heart is unwise, and (or but) each heart is understood of (or by) him. And (or But) who understandeth his ways?
21and a tempest, which the eye of man saw not? For why full many works of him be in hid things,
22but who shall tell out the works of his rightfulness, either or who shall suffer (them)? For why the testament is far from some men; and the asking of men is in the ending.
23He that is made little in heart, thinketh (upon) vain things; and a man unprudent and a fool thinketh (upon) fond things or follies.
24Son, hear thou me, and learn thou teaching or discipline of wit, and give thou attention to my words in thine heart;
25and I shall say teaching in equity, and I shall seek to tell out wisdom. And give thou attention to my words in thine heart; and I say in equity of spirit the virtues, which God hath set on his works at the beginning or that God put into his works from the beginning, and in truth I tell out the cunning (or the knowing) of him.
26In the doom of God be his works from the beginning; and in the ordinance of those, he parted or severed the parts of those or them, and he parted the beginnings of those or them in his folks.
27He adorned without end the works of them; they hungered not, neither travailed, and they ceased not of their works.
28Each shall not make strait or anguish the next to him, till into without end. Be thou not unbelieve-ful to the word of him.
29After these things God beheld into the earth, and filled it with his goods (or his good things).
30Forsooth the soul of each living thing told before his face; and that soul is again the turning again of those things.
