CHAP. XLII.
1 The Law of God must be taught. 9 A daughter. 14 A woman. 18 God knoweth all things, yea, euen the secrets of thine heart.
1 OF these things be not thou() 1.1 ashamed, nether haue regarde to offend for any persone.
2 Of the Law of the moste High and his co∣uenant, and of iudgement to iustifie the godlie:
3 Of the cause of thy companion, & of stran∣gers, or of distributing the heritage among friends:
4 To be diligent to kepe true balance, and weight, whether thou haue much or litle:
5 To sel marchandise at an indifferent price, and to correct thy children diligently, & to beat an euil seruant to the blood:
6 To set a good locke where an euill wife is, and to locke where manie hands are:
7 If thou giue aniething by nomber, and weight, to put all in writing, both that that is gyuen out, and that that is receyued againe:
8 To teache the vnlearned, and the vnwise, & the aged, that contēd against the yong: thus shalt thou be well instructed, and ap∣proued of all men liuing.
9 ¶ The daughter“ 1.2 maketh the father to watch secretly, and the carefulnes that he hathe for her, taketh away his slepe in the youth, lest she shuld passe the floure of her age: and when she hathe an housband, lest she shulde be hated:
10 In her virginitie, lest she shulde be defiled, or gotten with childe in her fathers house, and, when she is with her housband, lest she misbehaue her self: and when she is maried lest she continue vnfruteful.* 1.3
11 * If thy daughter be vnshamefast, kepe her straitly, lest she cause thyne ennemyes to laugh thee to scorne, and make thee a cō∣mune talke in the citie, and diffame thee among the people, and bring thee to pub∣licke shame.
12 * Beholde not euerie bodies beautie, and* 1.4 companie not among women.
13 For as the moth cometh out of garments: * so doeth wickednes of the woman.* 1.5
14 The wickednes of a man is better then the good intreatie of a woman, to wit, of a woman that is in shame, and reproche.
15 ¶ I wil remember the workes of the Lord, and declare the thing that I haue sene: by the worde of the Lord are his workes.
16 The sunne that shineth, loketh vppon all things, and all the worke thereof is full of the glorie of the Lord.
17 Hathe not the LORD appointed that his Saincts shulde declare all hys wonderous workes, whiche the almig htie Lord hathe stablished to confirme all things by in his maiestie?
18 He seketh out the depth, and the hearte, & he knoweth their practises: for the Lord knoweth all science, and he beholdeth the signes of the worlde.
19 He declareth the things that are past, & for to come, and discloseth the paths of things that are secret.
20 * No thogh may escape him, nether maye* 1.6 * 1.7 anie worde be hid from him.
21 He hathe garnished the excellent workes of his wisdome, and he is from euerlasting to euerlasting, and for euer: vnto him maye nothing be added, nether can he be mini∣shed: he hathe no nede of anie counseler.
22 Oh, how delectable are all his workes, and to be considered euen vnto the sparkes of fyre!
23 They liue all, and endure for euer: & when soeuer nede is, they are all obedient.
24 Thei are all double, one against another: he hathe made nothing that hathe anye faute.
25 The one“ 1.8 commendeth the goodnes of the other, and who can be satisfied with behol∣ding Gods glorie?