¹Every friend will say,

“I too have been a friend,”

but there’s a friend who is one

in name only.

²Doesn’t the pain bring a person

close to death

when a companion and friend

turns into an enemy?

³Evil inclination,

how did you get involved

in covering the land with deceit?

⁴Some companions take delight

in a friend’s happiness,

but they turn against them

in a time of distress.

⁵Some companions work alongside

a friend for their stomach’s sake,

but in the heat of battle,

they will shield themselves.

⁶Don’t forget friends in your heart,

and don’t neglect them

when it comes to your money.

⁷Every counselor spews out advice,

but some give advice

for their own benefit.

⁸Guard yourself against counselors,

and know beforehand

where their interest lies,

since they too,

will give advice for their own benefit

and might cast the lot against you.

⁹They might say to you, “Your way is good,”

but they will stand aside

to see what will happen to you.

¹⁰Don’t consult with people

who view you with suspicion;

hide your plans from those

who are jealous of you.

¹¹Don’t consult with a woman

about her rival,

or with a merchant about business,

or with a slanderer about gratitude,

or with the idle about anything

involving work,

or with a lazy household slave

about a large task.

Don’t look to these persons

for any advice.

¹²Consult instead with a godly person[#37.12 LXX persevere]

whom you know

keeps the commandments,

who thinks the same way you do

and will empathize with you if you fail.

¹³Listen carefully to what

your own heart tells you,

since nothing is more faithful

to you than it.

¹⁴At times a person’s intuition

keeps them informed

better than seven sentries

sitting high up on a lookout.

¹⁵But above everything else,

pray to the Most High,

so that he may make your path straight

in truth.

Speech and moderation

¹⁶Speech is the beginning of every deed,

and planning comes before

every action.

¹⁷The key to change is the heart;

¹⁸it poses four possibilities:

good and evil, life and death,

and their continual master

is the tongue.

¹⁹Some people instruct many,

but they are useless to themselves.

²⁰Some skilled speakers are hated;

they will be deprived of any luxuries.

²¹The Lord hasn’t granted them

any refinement,

²²Some people are wise to their

own benefit,

and the fruits of their understanding

are evident to all.

²³The wise will instruct their own people,

and the fruits of their understanding

are trustworthy.

²⁴Wise people will be highly praised,

and everyone who sees them

will consider them to be favored.

²⁵A person’s life is a limited time,

but Israel’s days cannot be numbered.

²⁶Those who are wise among their people

will inherit honor,

and their names will live forever.

²⁷My child, test yourself during your life.

See what’s bad for you,

and don’t give in to it.

²⁸All things aren’t beneficial to everybody,

and all things aren’t pleasing

to every person.

²⁹Don’t be greedy for every delicacy,

and don’t be unrestrained with food.

³⁰Eating a lot of food will make one sick,

and gluttony will lead to nausea.

³¹Many have died because of gluttony,

but those who are on guard against it

will prolong life.