17 And after he began to be ninety and nine years old, the Lord appeared to him: and said unto him: I am the Almighty God: walk before me, and be perfect.

² And I will make my covenant between me and thee: and I will multiply thee exceedingly.

³ Abram fell flat on his face.

⁴ And God said to him: I AM, and my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

⁵ Neither shall thy name be called any more Abram: but thou shalt be called Abraham: because I have made thee a father of many nations.

⁶ And I will make thee increase, exceedingly, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

⁷ And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and between thy seed after thee in their generations, by a perpetual covenant: to be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee.

⁸ And I will give to thee, and to thy seed, the land of thy sojournment, all the land of Chanaan for a perpetual possession, and I will be their God.

⁹ Again God said to Abraham: And thou therefore shalt keep my covenant, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

²⁰ A wise son maketh a father joyful: but the foolish man despiseth his mother.

²¹ Folly is joy to the fool: and the wise man maketh straight his steps.

²² Designs are brought to nothing where there is no counsel: but where there are many counsellors, they are established.

²³ A man rejoiceth in the sentence of his mouth: and a word in due time is best.

²⁴ The path of life is above for the wise, that he may decline from the lowest hell.

²⁵ The Lord will destroy the house of the proud: and will strengthen the borders of the widow.

²⁶ Evil thoughts are an abomination to the Lord: and pure words most beautiful shall be confirmed by him.

²⁷ He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house: but he that hateth bribes shall live. By mercy and faith sins are purged away: and by the fear of the Lord every one declineth from evil.

²⁸ The mind of the just studieth obedience: the mouth of the wicked over floweth with evils.

²⁹ The Lord is far from the wicked: and he will hear the prayers of the just.

³⁰ The light of the eyes rejoiceth the soul: a good name maketh the bones fat.

³¹ The ear that heareth the reproofs of life, shall abide in the midst of the wise.

³² He that rejecteth instruction, despiseth his own soul: but he that yieldeth to reproof possesseth understanding.

³³ The fear of the Lord is the lesson of wisdom: and humility goeth before glory.

16 It is the part of man to prepare the soul: and of the Lord to govern the tongue.

² All the ways of a man are open to his eyes: the Lord is the weigher of spirits.

³ Lay open thy works to the Lord: and thy thoughts shall be directed.

⁴ The Lord hath made all things for himself: the wicked also for the evil day.

⁵ Every proud man is an abomination to the Lord: though hand should be joined to hand, he is not innocent. The beginning of a good way is to do justice; and this is more acceptable with God, than to offer sacrifices.

⁶ By mercy and truth iniquity is redeemed: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

⁷ When the ways of man shall please the Lord, he will convert even his enemies to peace.

⁸ Better is a little with justice, than great revenues with iniquity.

⁹ The heart of man disposeth his way: but the Lord must direct his steps.