1
Have you sinned, my child? Do so no more,
but ask forgiveness for your past sins.
2
Flee from sin as from a snake;
for if you approach sin, it will bite you.
Its teeth are lion's teeth,
and can destroy human lives.
3
All lawlessness is like a two-edged sword;
there is no healing for the wound it inflicts.
4
Panic and insolence will waste away riches;
thus the house of the proud will be laid waste. 1
5
The prayer of the poor goes from their lips to the ears of God, 2
and his judgment comes speedily.
6
Those who hate reproof walk in the sinner's steps,
but those who fear the Lord repent in their heart.
7
The mighty in speech are widely known;
when they slip, the sensible person knows it.
8
Whoever builds his house with other people's money
is like one who gathers stones for his burial mound. 3
9
An assembly of the wicked is like a bundle of tow,
and their end is a blazing fire.
10
The way of sinners is paved with smooth stones,
but at its end is the pit of Hades.