Chapter 23

¹And let not the naming of God be usual in thy mouth, and meddle not with the names of saints, for thou shalt not escape free from them. ¹¹For as a slave daily put to the question, is never without a blue mark: so every one that sweareth, and nameth, shall not be wholly pure from sin. ¹²A man that sweareth much, shall be filled with iniquity, and a scourge shall not depart from his house. ¹³And if he make it void, his sin shall be upon him: and if he dissemble it, he offendeth double: ¹⁴And if he swear in vain, he shall not be justified: for his house shall be filled with his punishment. ¹⁵There is also another speech opposite to death, let it not be found in the inheritance of Jacob. ¹⁶For from the merciful all these things shall be taken away, and they shall not wallow in sins. ¹⁷Let not thy mouth be accustomed to indiscreet speech: for therein is the word of sin. ¹⁸Remember thy father and thy mother, for thou sittest is the midst of great men: ¹⁹Lest God forget thee in their sight, and thou, by thy daily custom, be infatuated and suffer reproach: and wish that thou hadst not been born, and curse the day of thy nativity. ²⁰The man that is accustomed to opprobrious words, will never be corrected all the days of his life. ²¹Two sorts of men multiply sins, and the third bringeth wrath and destruction. ²²A hot soul is a burning fire, it will never be quenched, till it devour some thing. ²³And a man that is wicked in the mouth of his flesh, will not leave off till he hath kindled a fire. ²⁴To a man that is a fornicator all bread is sweet, he will not be weary of sinning unto the end. ²⁵Every man that passeth beyond his own bed, despising his own soul, and saying: Who seeth me? ²⁶Darkness compasseth me about, and the walls cover me, and no man seeth me: whom do I fear? the most High will not remember my sins. ²⁷And he understandeth not that his eye seeth all things, for such a man's fear driveth from him the fear of God, and the eyes of men fearing him: ²⁸And he knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord are far brighter than the sun, beholding round about all the ways of men, and the bottom of the deep, and looking into the hearts of men, into the most hidden parts. ²⁹For all things were known to the Lord God, before they were created: so also after they were perfected he beholdeth all things. ³⁰This man shall be punished in the streets of the city, and he shall be chased as a colt: and where he suspected not, he shall be taken. ³¹And he shall be in disgrace with all men, because he understood not the fear of the Lord. ³²So every woman also that leaveth her husband, and bringeth in an heir by another : ³³For first she hath been unfaithful to the law of the most High: and secondly, she hath offended against her husband: thirdly, she hath fornicated in adultery, end hath gotten her children of another man. ³⁴This woman shall be brought into the assembly, and inquisition shall be made of her children. ³⁵Her children shall not take root, and her branches shall bring forth no fruit. ³⁶She shall leave her memory to be cursed, and her infamy shall not be blotted out. ³⁷And they that remain shall know. that there is nothing better than the fear of God: and that there is nothing sweeter than to have regard to the commandments of the Lord. ³⁸It is great glory to follow the Lord for length of days shall be received from him.