Ecclesiasticus 8

¹Strive not with a mighty man, lest perhaps thou fall into his hands.

²Contend not with a rich man, lest perhaps he make an action against thee.

³For gold and silver hath destroyed many, and hath reached even to the heart of kings, and hath turned them.

⁴Strive not with a man full of tongue, & thou shalt not heap sticks upon his fire.

⁵Communicate not with the ignorant man, lest he speak ill of thy progeny.

⁶Despise not a man that turneth himself from sin, nor upbraid him therewith: remember that we are all in state to be blamed.

⁷Despise not a man in his old age: for we also shall become old.

⁸Rejoice not of thine enemy dead: knowing that we do all die, & would not that others should joy thereat.

⁹Despise not the narration of wise ancients, and in their proverbs be thou conversant.

¹⁰For of them thou shalt learn wisdom, and doctrine of understanding, and to serve great men without blame.

¹¹Let not the narration of the ancients escape thee: for they learned of their fathers:

¹²because of them thou shalt learn understanding, and in time of necessity to give answer.

¹³Kindle not the coals of sinners rebuking them, and be not kindled with the flame of the fire of their sins.

¹⁴Stand not against the face of a contumelious person, lest he sit as a spy in wait for thy mouth.

¹⁵Lend not to a man mightier than thyself, and if thou doest lend, count it as lost.

¹⁶Be not surety above thy power: and if thou be surety, think as if thou were to pay it.

¹⁷Judge not against a judge: because he judgeth according to that which is just.

¹⁸With the audacious go not on the way, lest perhaps he burden thee with his evils: for he goeth according to his own will, and thou shalt perish together with his folly.

¹⁹With an angry man make no brawl, and with the audacious go not into the desert: because blood is as nothing before him, and where there is no help, he will overthrow thee.

²⁰Confer no counsel with fools, for they cannot love but such things as please them.

²¹Before a stranger do no matter of counsel: for thou knowest not what he will bring forth.

²²Make not thy heart manifest to every man: lest perhaps he repay thee false kindness, and speak reproachfully to thee.