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[1]Who so will shewe mercie, let hym lende vnto his neyghbour: and he that is able, let him kepe the commaundementes.
[2]Lend vnto thy neyghbour in time of his neede, and paye thou thy neyghbour againe in due season.
[3]Kepe thy worde, and deale faythfully with him: and thou shalt alway finde the thing that is necessarie for thee.
[4]There haue ben many, that when a thing was lent them, reckened it to be founde, and made them trauayle and labour that had helped them.
[5]Whyle they receaue any thing, they kisse the handes of such as geue them, and for their neyghbours good they humble their voyce: but when they should paye againe, they kepe it backe, and geue euyl wordes, and make many excuses by reason of the time.
[6]And though he be able, yet geueth he scarse the halfe againe, and reckeneth the other to be founde: And if he withholde not his money, yet hath he an enemie of him, and that vndeserued: He payeth him with cursing and rebuke, and geueth him euyll wordes for his good deede.
[7]There be many one which are not glad for to lende, not because of euyl: but they feare to lose the thing that they lende.
[8]Yet haue thou patience with the simple, and withholde not mercie from him.
[9]Helpe the poore for the commaundementes sake, and let hym not go emptie from thee, because of his necessitie.
[10]Lose thy money for thy brother and neyghbours sake, and burie it not vnder a stone where it rusteth and corrupteth.
[11]Gather thy treasure after the commaundement of the hyghest, and so shal it bring thee more profite then golde.
[12]Lay vp thyne almes in the hande of the poore, and it shall kepe thee from all euyll.
[13]A mans almes is as a purse with him, & shal kepe a mans fauour as the apple of an eye: and afterwarde shall it arise and paye euery man his rewarde vpon his head.
[14]It shall fight for thee against thyne enemies, better then the shielde of a gyaunt or speare of the mightie.
[15]A good honest man is a suertie for his neyghbour, but a wicked person: letteth him come to shame.
[16]Forget not the friendship of thy suertie: for he hath geuen his soule for thee.
[17]The vngodly despiseth the good deede of his suertie.
[18]The wicked will not become suertie, and the vnthankeful and ignoraunt leaueth his suertie in daunger.
[19]Some man promiseth for his neyghbour: & when he hath lost his honestie, he shall forsake him.
[20]Suertishippe hath destroyed many a riche man, and remoued them as the waues in the sea: Mightie people hath it dryuen away, and caused them to wander in straunge countreys.
[21]An vngodly man transgressing the commaundement of the Lorde, shall fal into an euyll suertiship: and though he force him selfe to get out, yet shall he fall into iudgement.
[22]Helpe thy neyghbour out after thy power, and beware that thou thy selfe fall not in such debte.
[23]The chiefe thing that kepeth in thy life, is water, & bread, clothing, and lodging, to couer the shame.
[24]Better is it to haue a poore lyuing in a mans owne house, then delicate fare among the straunge.
[25]Be it litle or much that thou hast, hold thee content withall: and thou shalt not be blamed as a vagabounde.
[26]For a miserable lyfe is it to go from house to house, and where a man is fremde, he dare not open his mouth.
[27]Though one be lodged, & haue meate and drinke, yet shall he be taken as vnworthy, and heare many bytter rough wordes, [namely thus:]
[28]Go thy way thou straunger, and prepare a table for thy selfe, and feede me also of that thou hast.
[29]Geue place thou straunger to an honorable man, my brother commeth into my house, and so telleth him the necessitie of his house.
[30]These thinges are heauy to a man that hath vnderstanding: [namely] the forbidding of the house, and that the lender casteth him in the teeth.
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