¹² If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if your heart is full of pride, you only will have the pain of it.

² Is it possible for a man to be of profit to God? No, for a man's wisdom is only of profit to himself.

³ Is it of any interest to the Ruler of all that you are upright? or is it of use to him that your ways are without sin?

²¹ Put yourself now in a right relation with him and be at peace: so will you do well in your undertakings.

⁶ If you have done wrong, is he any the worse for it? and if your sins are great in number, what is it to him?

⁷ If you are upright, what do you give to him? or what does he take from your hand?

²⁶ The desire of the working man is working for him, for his need of food is driving him on.

²² And now, take care that you do not make sport of him, or your bands will be made strong; for I have had word from the Lord, the Lord of armies, of an end, of a complete end, which is to come on all the land.

²⁰ The soul which does sin will be put to death: the son will not be made responsible for the evil-doing of the father, or the father for the evil-doing of the son; the righteousness of the upright will be on himself, and the evil-doing of the evil-doer on himself.

³ Having first of all the knowledge that in the last days there will be men who, ruled by their evil desires, will make sport of holy things,

⁴ Saying, Where is the hope of his coming? From the death of the fathers till now everything has gone on as it was from the making of the world.

¹⁶ And as he said in all his letters, which had to do with these things; in which are some hard sayings, so that, like the rest of the holy Writings, they are twisted by those who are uncertain and without knowledge, to the destruction of their souls.