1. “Every wise Woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.”He hath a great treasure, whosoever he be, that hath a wise and virtuous wife; for she alone by her diligence and prudent administration, is able to raise her family, and increase its riches and reputation: but she that is foolish, and void of goodness, by her negligence, ill management, and luxury, without any other assistance, will lay it low, and waste all that bath been gotten by her predecessor’s care.
2. “He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Loa but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth Him.” He that sincerely discharges his duty in all the actions of his life, hath a due regard and reverence to the Lord; from which all virtue flows: but he that cares not what he doth, so he cloth but satisfy his own lusts, which is the very fountain of all wickedness; lives in a profane contempt of His Majesty.
3. “In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them. A fool is so insolent that he boldly calumniates hitters maliciously false charges] and wounds the reputation of others, though it come home at last, with a terrible back-blow up In himself: but wise men are careful] of their words, not to offend, much less abuse the meanest person; and thereby they remain in safety.
4. “Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.” If the fields lie fallow and be neglected, a famine must needs follow: but good husbandry bestowed upon them makes great plenty.
5. “A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.” A person of integrity will not be prevailed with all, either for fear or favor, to justify the least untruth: but a man of no conscience, who hath accustomed himself to lying, cares not how many falsehoods he testifies; which he utters without any difficulty.
6. “A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.” He that scoffs and jeers at everything he reads or hears, would be thought wise; but loses all his pains, which perhaps he takes, to be so: when a serious person, who doth not think himself too wise to learn, easily and quickly attains the knowledge of things necessary, and useful for him.
7. “Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.” Observe a fool (and a wicked man is no better) as diligently as thou pleases, and thou shalt never learn any good from him: and therefore it is best to flee the company of such persons, whose discourse thou perceivest tends to nothing but vice and mischief.
8. “The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.” The greatest cunning and subtlety that a truly wise and good man studies, is to understand what he ought to do, and what to avoid, upon all occasions: but all the skill of wicked men, such is their folly, lies in cheating tricks, and in devising arts of circumvention and deceit.
9. “Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor.” Lewd men, as if it were but a sport, care not what injury they do their neighbors, and when they have done, laugh at those that talk to them of making satisfaction: but among men exactly virtuous there is nothing but good will, which makes them live without offense, or presently reconcile themselves to those they have offended.
10. “The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.” Nobody can know what another suffers, so well as he himself: and he alone is privy to the greatness of that joy, which springs from the happy conclusion of his sufferings.
11. “The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.” Men of sincere integrity are happier in a mean cottage, than the wicked are in their palaces: for, when the great and potent families of those wicked men are overturned, the despicable family of the sincerely pious shall flourish and grow illustrious.
12. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end there of are the ways of death.” Examine everything strictly and impartially, and be not led merely by thy appetite: for that makes many actions seem innocent, which in the issue prove deadly destructive.
13. “Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful: and the end of that mirth is heaviness.” Do not think that every one that laughs is merry, or that profuse and immoderate joy is true pleasure; for it leaves the heart more heavy and sad afterward, especially when the mind reflects upon it: nay, such is the vanity of this present life, there is no joy without a mixture of sorrow; which oft-times treads so close upon its heels, that it immediately follows.
14. “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied front himself.” He that, to avoid a danger, revolts from those virtuous courses, unto which he knows he ought to have adhered, shall bring upon himself misery enough, by his own devices: but a truly good man is, even in this, far-superior to him, that though he should suffer, his on integrity and the clearness and quietness of his conscience, gives him abundant satisfaction.
15. “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.” It is a mark of great silliness to be credulous; that is, to take all those for friends who make profession of it, and easily to follow every one’s advice: for a prudent man proceeds cautiously; examining, before he trusts; and considering well, before he does as he is advised.
16. “A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.” A wise man being admonished of his error, and of his danger, is afraid of incurring the Divine displeasure; and instantly starts back from that evil way, into which he was entering, or wherein he was engaged: but a fool storms at those that would stop him in his course, and proceeds boldly and securely to his own ruin.
17. “He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.” He whose anger is presently kindled, and breaks out when he is offended, may do such things, when the fit is upon him, as none but a fool would be guilty of; but he is nothing so bad as him, who suppressing his wrath, lets it boil in his breast, and deliberately contrives how to take a cruel revenge: for most men are inclined to pity the weakness of him that is hasty, but this man’s wickedness is odious, and execrable [detestable] unto all.