^12 (A)Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, ^(B)they may see your good deeds and glorify God on ^(C)the day of visitation.

¹⁵ In my ^(A)vain^[a] life I have seen everything. There is ^(B)a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who ^(C)prolongs his life in his evildoing. ¹⁶ Be not overly righteous, and do not ^(D)make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? ¹⁷ Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. ^(E)Why should you die before your time? ¹⁸ It is good that you should take hold of ^(F)this, and from ^(G)that ^(H)withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.