HAHC 7 1 Do no evila, and evil will not overtake thee;

2  Avoid iniquity, and it will turn from thee.

HA 3 b cSow not in the furrows of unrighteousnessc,

Lest thou reap it sevenfold.

(e) 7:4–7. An Exhortation to follow after Humility

(= 2 + 3 distichs).

HAHC 4 Seek not dominiond from Gode,

Norf a seat of honour fromg the king.

HA 5 Justify not thyself in the sight of Godh,

iNor display thy wisdomi before the king.

HAHC 6 Seek not to be a judgek,

l Lest thou be not ablel mto put down presumptionm,

HA (And) lest thou be in fear in the presence of a mightyn man,

And thou put a stumbling-blocko in (the way of) thy uprightness.

7 pSin notp against the assembly in the gateq,

rThat it cast thee not downr samong the multitudes.

(f) 7:8–10. A warning against a false doctrine of Atonement

(= 3 distichs).

8 t Do not wickedly continue in sinu t,

For in respect of vone (sin)v thou art not without guilt.

G 9 Say not, ‘He will look upon the multitude of my gifts,

And when I offer (them) to the Most High God He will accept (them)w.’

HA 10 xBe not impatientx in thy prayer,

And in righteousness be not behindhandy.

(g) 7:11–17. Various precepts for conduct of life

(= 3 + 2 + 2 distichs).

11 Despise no man (who is) in bitterness of spirit,

Remember thatz there is one who exalteth and humbleth.

12 aDevise notb evilc against a brother,

dNor do the liked against a friend eor a neighbour withale.

13 Take no delight in lies of anyf sort,

For the outcome thereof will not be pleasant.

14 Prate notg in the assembly of eldersh,

And repeati not (thy) words in (thy) prayer.

15 kHate notl laborious work,

mNor husbandry, for it was ordained of Godm k.

16 nNumber not thyself oamong sinful meno n,

Remember that wrathp will not tarry.

HAHC 17 Humble (thy) prideq greatly,

For the expectationr of man is decays.

[tHasten not to say, ‘Violence’;

Commit (thyself) unto God, and delight (in) His wayt.]

(h) 7:18–21. A man’s duties to a friend, a wife, and a servant

(= 2 + 2 distichs).

HA 18 Change not a friend for money,

Nor a naturalu brother for gold of Ophir.

19 Reject notv a wisew wife;

And a well-favoured (wife) is above pearls.

HAHC 20 xMaltreat not ya servant that serveth trulyy,

Nor a hirelingz who giveth his life (for thee).

21 A wise slave lovea as thyself,

And withhold not from him (his) freedom.

(i) 7:22–25. A man’s duties to his cattle and to his children

(= 2 + 2 distichs).

HA 22 Hast thou cattleb, look (to them)c thyselfd,

And if they aree profitable, keep themf.

HAHC 23 gHast thou sons, correct them,

hAnd give them wivesi in their youthh.

HAHC 24 Hast thou daughtersk, keepl their bodies,

And show them not a pleasant countenance.

25 Marry thy daughter, and sorrow will depart [from thy house],

But bestow her upon a man of understandingm.

(j) 7:26–28. A man’s duty to his wife and to his parents

(= 1 + 2 distichs).

HA 26 Hast thou a wifen, oabhor her noto,

But trust not thyself to one that hateth (thee).

G 27 pHonour thy father with thy whole heart,

And forget not thy mother who bare thee qin pangsq.

28 qqRemember that rof them thou wast bornr,

And how canst thou recompense them for what they have done for theep?

(k) 7:29–31. A man’s duties to God and to His ministers

(= 2 + 2 distichs).

HA 29 sFear Godt with all thy heartu,

And reverence His priests.

30 With all thy strengthv lovew Him that made thee,

And forsake not His ministers.

31 x Glorify Godx and honour the priest,

And give (them) their portion as it is commanded (thee);

xxThe foody of the trespass-offering, and the heave-offering of the handxx,

The sacrifices of righteousness, and the offerings zof holy thingsz.

(l) 7:32–36. A man’s duties to the poor, to his departed friends, to mourners, and to the sick

(= 1 + 3 + 1 distichs).

LA 32 aAlso to the poor stretch out thy handa,

That the blessing may be perfected.

33 A gift is acceptableb in the sight of every man living,

cAnd also from the dead withhold not kindnessd.

34 Withdraw not thyself from them that weepe,

And mourn with them that mourn.

35 Forget not fto visit the sickf,

For thou wilt be loved for that.

36 In all thy doingsg remember thy last end,

Then wilt thou never do corruptly.

(m) 8:1–3. A caution against quarrelling with the powerful, the rich, and the boastful

(= 3 + 1 distichs).