prepare thy soul for temptation.  Set thy heart aright, and constantly endure.  Woe be to fearful hearts; but they that fear the Lord shall be filled with the law.  Whoso honoureth his father maketh an atonement for his sins.  He that honoureth his mother layeth up treasure.  Seek not out the things that are too hard for thee:  profess not the knowledge that thou hast not.  Defraud not the poor of his living:  and be not fainthearted when thou sittest in judgment.  Set not thy heart upon thy goods, for the Lord will surely revenge thy pride.  Winnow not with every wind, and let thy life be sincere.  Do not extol thy own conceit:  if thou wouldst get a friend, prove him first.  A faithful friend is a strong defence.  Seek not of the Lord preeminence:  humble thy soul greatly.  Fear the Lord, and reverence his priests.  Stretch thine hand unto the poor, and mourn with them that mourn.  Strive not with a mighty man:  kindle not the coals of a sinner.  Lend not unto him that is mightier than thyself:  be not surety above thy power.  Go not to law with a judge:  consult not with a fool.  Judge none blessed before his death.  He that toucheth pitch shall be denied therewith:  like will to like.  Say not thou:  it is through the Lord that I fell away:  He has caused me to err.  The Lord made man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his counsel.  He has commanded no man to do wickedly, neither has he given any man licence to sin.  The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom:  neither at any time the counsel of sinners prudence.  Whoso discovereth secrets loseth his credit and shall never find friend to his mind.  Health and good estate of body are above all gold.  There is no joy above the joy of the heart.  Give not over thy mind to heaviness:  the joyfulness of a man prolongeth his days.  Envy and wrath shorten life:  carefulness bringeth age before the time.

[Then follow praises of a good householder, a good physician, a wise interpreter of the law, and injunctions as to how a man should bear the miseries of life, and face the approach of death.  And the book concludes with praises of the Patriarchs and the Prophets.]

BARUCH

Baruch, the son of Nerias, wrote a book in Babylon what time the Chaldeans took Jerusalem and burnt it with fire.  Baruch read the words of his book in the hearing of Jechonias, the son of the King of Juda, and in the ears of all the people.  The Jews wept at the reading of it, by the river Sud, and made a collection of money to send to Jerusalem, unto the High Priest Joachim, to buy burnt offerings and sin offerings and incense, and to prepare manna to be offered upon the altar of the Lord.  The people at Jerusalem are asked also to pray for the life of Nabuchodonosor, King of Babylon, and his son Balthasar, and for those who sent the gifts and the book.  The book begins with a prayer and confession which the Jews at Babylon make, acknowledging that they are yet this day in captivity for a reproach and a curse, and to be subject to payments according to all the iniquities of their fathers which departed from the Lord our God.  Then beginneth the book: