t profane swearing and
other vices.

23:1. O Lord, father, and sovereign ruler of my life, leave me not to
their counsel: nor suffer me to fall by them.

By them... Viz., the tongue and the lips, mentioned in the last verse of
the foregoing chapter.

23:2. Who will set scourges over my thoughts, and the discipline of
wisdom over my heart, that they spare me not in their ignorances, and
that their sins may not appear:

That they spare me not in their ignorances, etc... That is, that the
scourges and discipline of wisdom may restrain the ignorances, that is,
the slips and offences which are usually committed by the tongue and the
lips.

23:3. Lest my ignorances increase, and my offences be multiplied, and my
sins abound, and I fall before my adversaries, and my enemy rejoice over
me?

23:4. O Lord, father, and God of my life, leave me not to their devices.

23:5. Give me not haughtiness of my eyes, and turn away from me all
coveting.

23:6. Take from me the greediness of the belly, and let not the lusts of
the flesh take hold of me, and give me not over to a shameless and
foolish mind.

23:7. Hear, O ye children, the discipline of the mouth, and he that will
keep it shall not perish by his lips, nor be brought to fall into most
wicked works.

23:8. A sinner is caught in his own vanity, and the proud and the evil
speakers shall fall thereby.

23:9. Let not thy mouth be accustomed to swearing: for in it there are
many falls.

23:10. And let not the naming of God be usual in thy mouth, and meddle
not with the names of saints, for thou shalt not escape free from them.

23:11. For as a slave daily put to the question, is never without a blue
mark: so every one that sweareth, and nameth, shall not be wholly pure
from sin.

23:12. A man that sweareth much, shall be filled with iniquity, and a
scourge shall not depart from his house.

23:13. And if he make it void, his sin shall be upon him, and if he
dissemble it, he offendeth double:

23:14. And if he swear in vain, he shall not be justified: for his house
shall be filled with his punishment.

23:15. There is also another speech opposite to death, let it not be
found in the inheritance of Jacob.

23:16. For from the merciful all these things shall be taken away, and
they shall not wallow in sins.

23:17. Let not thy mouth be accustomed to indiscreet speech: for therein
is the word of sin.

23:18. Remember thy father and thy mother, for thou sittest