Study Desk

By his knowledge the deep was parted, and dew came dropping from the skies.

Have no envy of the violent man, or take any of his ways as an example.

The curse of the Lord is on the house of the evil-doer, but his blessing is on the tent of the upright.

For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh.

For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he puts all his goings in the scales.

The evil-doer will be taken in the net of his crimes, and prisoned in the cords of his sin.

He will come to his end for need of teaching; he is so foolish that he will go wandering from the right way.

A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words;

Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers;

His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts.

For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him.

May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?

Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned?

So it is with him who goes in to his neighbour's wife; he who has anything to do with her will not go free from punishment.

But if he is taken in the act he will have to give back seven times as much, giving up all his property which is in his house.

He who takes another man's wife is without all sense: he who does it is the cause of destruction to his soul.

Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away.

So she took him by his hand, kissing him, and without a sign of shame she said to him:

Like a bird falling into a net; with no thought that his life is in danger, till an arrow goes into his side.

The Lord made me as the start of his way, the first of his works in the past.