A wise judge shall judge his people, and the government of a prudent man shall be steady. 2As the judge of the people is himself, so also are his ministers: and what manner of man the ruler of a city is, such also are they that dwell therein. 3An unwise king shall be the ruin of his people: and cities shall be inhabited through the prudence of the rulers. 4The power of the earth is in the hand of God, and in his time he will raise up a profitable ruler over it. 5The prosperity of man is in the hand of God, and upon the person of the scribe he shall lay his honour. 6Remember not any injury done thee by thy neighbour, and do thou nothing by deeds of injury. 7Pride is hateful before God and men: and all iniquity of nations is execrable. 8A kingdom is translated from one people to another, because of injustices, and wrongs, and injuries, and divers deceits. 9But nothing is more wicked than the covetous man. Why is earth, and ashes proud? 10There is not a more wicked thing than to love money: for such a one setteth even his own soul to sale: because while he liveth he hath cast away his bowels. 11All power is of short life. A long sickness is troublesome to the physician. 12The physician cutteth off a short sickness: so also a king is to day, and to morrow he shall die. 13For when a man shall die, he shall inherit serpents, and beasts, and worms. 14The beginning of the pride of man, is to fall off from God: 15Because his heart is departed from him that made him: for pride is the beginning of all sin: he that holdeth it, shall be filled with maledictions, and it shall ruin him in the end. 16Therefore hath the Lord disgraced the assemblies of the wicked, and hath utterly destroyed them. 17God hath overturned the thrones of proud princes, and hath set up the meek in their stead. 18God hath made the roots of proud nations to wither, and hath planted the humble of these nations.