10. Take not counsel with one that looks askance at you; And hide your counsel from such as are jealous of you.
11. Take not counsel with a woman about her rival; Neither with a coward about war; Nor with a merchant about exchange; Nor with a buyer about selling; Nor with an envious man about thankfulness; Nor with an unmerciful man about kindliness; Nor with a sluggard about any kind of work; Nor with a hireling in your house about finishing his work; Nor with an idle servant about much business: Give not heed to these in any matter of counsel.
12. But rather be continually with a godly man, Whom you shall have known to be a keeper of the commandments, Who in his soul is as your own soul, And who will grieve with you, if you shall miscarry.
13. And make the counsel of your heart to stand; For there is none more faithful to you than it.
14. For a man’s soul is sometime wont to bring him tidings, More than seven watchmen that sit on high on a watch-tower.
15. And above all this entreat the Most High, That he may direct your way in truth.
16. Let reason be the beginning of every work, And let counsel go before every action.
17. As a token of the changing of the heart,
18. four manner of things do rise up, Good and evil, life and death; And that which rules over them continually is the tongue.
19. There is one that is shrewd and the instructor of many, And yet is unprofitable to his own soul.
20. There is one that is subtil in words, and is hated; He shall be destitute of all food:
21. For grace was not given him from the Lord; Because he is deprived of all wisdom.
22. There is one that is wise to his own soul; And the fruits of his understanding are trustworthy in the mouth.
23. A wise man will instruct his own people; And the fruits of his understanding are trustworthy.