Religious and moral duties.
1
Do not choose to do evil, and evil will not take hold of you.
2
Withdraw from the iniquitous, and evil will withdraw from you.
3
Son, do not sow evil in the furrows of injustice, and you will not reap them sevenfold.
4
Do not seek a role of leadership from the Lord, and do not seek a seat of honor from the king.
5
You should not justify yourself before God, for he is the Knower of hearts. And by no means should you wish to seem wise before the king.
6
Do not seek to become a judge, unless you have sufficient strength to shatter iniquities. Otherwise, you might fear the face of the powerful, and so establish a scandal within your integrity.
7
You should not sin against the multitude of a city, nor should you cast yourself against the people.
8
And you should not bind two sins together. For even in one sin, you will not go unpunished.
9
Do not be cowardly in your soul.
10
You should not be unwilling to beg, nor to give alms.
11
You should not say: “God will look with favor on the multitude of my gifts, and when I make an offering to the most high God, he will accept my gift.”
12
You should not ridicule a man in bitterness of soul. For there is One who humbles and who exalts: the all-seeing God.
13
Do not love a lie against your brother, nor should you act the same toward your friend.
14
Do not be willing to devise a lie of any kind. For the practice of lying is not good.
15
Do not choose to be verbose among a multitude of elders, and you should not repeat the words of your prayers.(a)
16
You should not hate laborious works, nor the rustic life created by the Most High.
17
You should not consider yourself to be among the multitude of the undisciplined.
18
Remember wrath. For it will not be delayed.
19
Humble your spirit greatly. For the retribution against the flesh of the impious is with fire and worms.
20
Do not betray your friend for the sake of money, and you should not spurn your dearest brother for the sake of gold.
21
Do not choose to depart from a good and understanding wife, whom you have been allotted in the fear of the Lord. For the grace of her modesty is above gold.
22
You should not harm the servant whose works are honest, nor the hired hand who entrusts his life to you.
23
Let an understanding servant be loved by you like your own soul. You should not cheat him out of freedom, nor abandon him to destitution.
24
Are cattle yours? Tend to them. And if they are useful, let them remain with you.
25
Are sons yours? Instruct them, and bow them down from their childhood.
26
Are daughters yours? Watch over their bodies. And you should not display a light-hearted attitude toward them.(b)
27
Give your daughter in marriage, and give her to an understanding man, and you will be doing a great work.
28
If a wife in accord with your soul is yours, you should not reject her. But do not entrust yourself to her who is hateful.
29
With your whole heart, honor your father. And you should not forget the complaints of your mother.
30
Remember that you would not have been born except through them. And so, give back to them as they also have done for you.
31
With all your soul, fear the Lord, and consider his priests to be holy.
32
With all your strength, love him who made you, and you should not abandon his ministers.
33
Honor God from your whole soul, and confer honor on the priests, and continue to purify yourself with your strength.(c) (d)
34
Give them their portion, just as it has been commanded of you, from the first-fruits and from the purifications. And for your ignorant offenses, purify yourself with a smaller offering.
35
You should offer to the Lord the gift of your strength, and the sacrifice of sanctification, and the first-fruits of what is holy.
36
And reach out your hand to the poor, so that your atonement and your blessing may be perfected.
37
A gift has grace in the sight of all the living, but you should not prohibit grace for the dead.(e)
38
You should not fail to console those who are weeping, nor to walk with those who are mourning.
39
Do not let yourself be slow to visit the sick. For in this way, you will be confirmed in love.
40
In all your works, remember your very end, and so you will not sin, unto eternity.
Footnotes