Chapter 21

21. My son, hast thou sinned? Do so no more, but ask pardon for thy former sins, and flee from sin as from the face of a serpent, for if thou comest too near it, it will bite thee, and the teeth thereof are the teeth of a lion, slaying the souls of men. All iniquity is as a two-edged sword, the wounds whereof cannot be cured; to terrify and to do wrong will waste riches, and the house of proud men shall be made desolate, so the prayer of the poor goeth from his mouth unto the ears of God, and his judgment comes speedily. He that hateth to be reproved is in the way of sinners, and he that fears the Lord will suddenly repent; an eloquent man is known far and near, but a man of understanding knows when to slip. He that builds his house with other men's money is like one that gathers stones for his tomb, and the congregation of the wicked is like tow wrapped together, for they shall end in a flame of fire, while the way of sinners is made plain with stones, but at the last, they are the gates of hell. He that keeps the law of the Lord gets the mastering of it, and the end of the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and he that is not witty will not be taught, yet there is a witty man that increases an abomination. The knowledge of a wise man shall abound like a flood, and his counsel is like a pure fountain of life, but the heart of a fool is like a broken vessel, and he will hold no knowledge as long as he lives; if a man of understanding hear a wise sentence, he will commend it and add unto it, but if a fool hear it, it will displease him, and he will cast it behind his back. The talking of a fool is like a burden in the way, but grace shall be found in the lips of the wise, for the mouth of the wise is in the number of the days, but the lips of a fool will soon devour himself. The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of the wise is in his heart; when the ungodly curses Satan, he curses his own soul, and a whisperer defiles his own soul and is hated wherever he dwells.