⁵⁴ That man among you who is soft and used to comfort will be hard and cruel to his brother, and to his dear wife, and to of those his children who are still living;

⁹ And see that there is no evil thought in your heart, moving you to say to yourself, The seventh year, the year of forgiveness is near; and so looking coldly on your poor countryman you give him nothing; and he will make an outcry to the Lord against you, and it will be judged as sin in you.

⁶ If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife of your heart, or the friend who is as dear to you as your life, working on you secretly says to you, Let us go and give worship to other gods, strange to you and to your fathers;

¹¹ And which of you, being a father, will give a stone to his son, who makes request for bread? or for a fish, will give him a snake?

¹² Or for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

¹³ If, then, you who are evil are able to give good things to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who make request to him?

¹⁵ Have I not the right to do as seems good to me in my house? or is your eye evil, because I am good?

⁹ Or which of you, if his son makes a request for bread, will give him a stone?

¹⁰ Or if he makes a request for a fish, will give him a snake?

¹¹ If you, then, being evil, are able to give good things to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who make requests to him?

⁵ Put no faith in a friend, do not let your hope be placed in a relation: keep watch on the doors of your mouth against her who is resting on your breast.

¹⁵ Will a woman give up the child at her breast, will she be without pity for the fruit of her body? yes, these may, but I will not let you go out of my memory.

²² He who is ever desiring wealth goes running after money, and does not see that need will come on him.

⁶ Do not take the food of him who has an evil eye, or have any desire for his delicate meat:

¹³ As a father has pity on his children, so the Lord has pity on his worshippers.

³ But the poor man had only one little she-lamb, which he had got and taken care of: from its birth it had been with him like one of his children; his meat was its food, and from his cup it took its drink, resting in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him.