Chapter 1 _{4 For into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter; nor dwell in the body that is subject unto sin.5 For the holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit, and remove from thoughts that are without understanding, and will not abide when unrighteousness cometh in.6 For wisdom is a loving spirit; and will not acquit a blasphemer of his words: for God is witness of his reins, and a true beholder of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue.7 For the Spirit of the Lord filleth the world: and that which containeth all things hath knowledge of the voice.8 Therefore he that speaketh unrighteous things cannot be hid: neither shall vengeance, when it punisheth, pass by him.9 For inquisition shall be made into the counsels of the ungodly: and the sound of his words shall come unto the Lord for the manifestation of his wicked deeds.10 For the ear of jealousy heareth all things: and the noise of murmurings is not hid.11 Therefore beware of murmuring, which is unprofitable; and refrain your tongue from backbiting: for there is no word so secret, that shall go for nought: and the mouth that belieth slayeth the soul.12 Seek not death in the error of your life: and pull not upon yourselves destruction with the works of your hands.13 For God made not death: neither hath he pleasure in the destruction of the living.14 For he created all things, that they might have their being: and the generations of the world were healthful; and there is no poison of destruction in them, nor the kingdom of death upon the earth:15 (For righteousness is immortal:)16 But ungodly men with their works and words called it to them: for when they thought to have it their friend, they consumed to nought, and made a covenant with it, because they are worthy to take part with it.}

Chapter 2 _{1 For the ungodly said, reasoning with themselves, but not aright, Our life is short and tedious, and in the death of a man there is no remedy: neither was there any man known to have returned from the grave.2 For we are born at all adventure: and we shall be hereafter as though we had never been: for the breath in our nostrils is as smoke, and a little spark in the moving of our heart:3 Which being extinguished, our body shall be turned into ashes, and our spirit shall vanish as the soft air,4 And our name shall be forgotten in time, and no man shall have our works in remembrance, and our life shall pass away as the trace of a cloud, and shall be dispersed as a mist, that is driven away with the beams of the sun, and overcome with the heat thereof.5 For our time is a very shadow that passeth away; and after our end there is no returning: for it is fast sealed, so that no man cometh again.6 Come on therefore, let us enjoy the good things that are present: and let us speedily use the creatures like as in youth.7 Let us fill ourselves with costly wine and ointments: and let no flower of the spring pass by us:8 Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds, before they be withered:9 Let none of us go without his part of our voluptuousness: let us leave tokens of our joyfulness in every place: for this is our portion, and our lot is this.10 Let us oppress the poor righteous man, let us not spare the widow, nor reverence the ancient gray hairs of the aged.11 Let our strength be the law of justice: for that which is feeble is found to be nothing worth.12 Therefore let us lie in wait for the righteous; because he is not for our turn, and he is clean contrary to our doings: he upbraideth us with our offending the law, and objecteth to our infamy the transgressings of our education.}