Ecclesiastes · Chapter 3

[ edit] The ſonus of wiſdam þe chirche of riȝtwis men, and þe nacioun of hem obeiſaunce and loouyng. Þe dom of þe fader hereþ, ȝee looued ſones; and ſo doþ, þat ȝee be ſaf. God forſoþe wrſhepede þe fader in ſonus, and þe dom of þe moder ful out ſechende he faſtnede in to þe ſonus. Who looueþ God, ſhal full out preȝen for ſynnes, and ſhal wiþholden hym fro þem, and in þe oriſoun of daȝes he ſhal be ful out herd. And as he þat treſoreþ, ſo and he þat wrſhepiþ his moder. Who wrſhepiþ his fader, ſhal be mad merie in ſones, and in þe dai of his oriſoun he ſhal be full out herd. Who wrſhipiþ his fader, wiþ lengere lif ſhal lyue; and who obeſheþ to þe fadir, ſhal refreſhe þe moder.

Who dredeþ þe Lord, wrſhepiþ fader and moder; and as to lordis he ſhal ſerue to þem þat geeten hym, in werc, and wrd, and in alle pacience. Wrſhipe þou þi fader, þat þer come vpon to þee bliſſing fro God; and þe bleſſing of hym in þe laſte dwelleþ. Þe bliſſing of þe fadir faſtneþ þe houſes of ſones; þe curſing forſoþe of þe moder drawiþ out foundemens bi þe roote. Ne glorie þou in þe wrong of þi fader; forſoþe it is not to þee glorie, but ſhenſhepe. Þe glorie forſoþe of a man, of þe wrſhepe of his fadir; and þe vylenye of þe ſone, þe fader wiþoute wrſhepe.

Sone, mekeli tac þe laſte age of þi fader, and ne ſorewe þou hym in his lif; and if he faile in wit, ȝif forȝyueneſſe, and diſpyſe þou not hym in þi vertue; forſoþe þe almeſſe deede of þe fader ſhal not be in forȝetyng. For whi for þe ſynne of þe moder ſhal be reſtored to þee good, and in riȝtwiſneſſe it ſhal ben bild vp to þee; and in þe dai of tribulacioun it ſhal be remembrid of þee, and as iys in cleer, þi ſynnes ſhul ben looſed. Of hou euel loos is he, þat forſakeþ þe fader; and he is curſid of God, þat terreþ to wraþe þe moder. Sone, in debonerneſſe þi werkes parforme, and ouer þe glorie of men þou ſhalt be looued.

Hou myche þou art gret, meeke þee in alle þyngus, and byforn God þou ſhalt fynde grace; for gret myȝt is of God alone, and of meeke men he is wrſhipid. Heȝere þyngus þan þiſelf ſeche þou not, and ſtrengere þingus þan þiſelf ne ſerche þou; but þe þingus þat God comaundide to þee, þenk hem euermor; and in manye werkes of hym ne be þou kurious. Forſoþe it is not nedeful to þee, þo þingus þat ben hid, to ſeen wiþ þin eȝen. In oueruoide þingus wile þou not enſerchen manyefold; and in manye werkes of hym þou ſhalt not be curious; manye forſoþe þyngus ouer þe wit of men ben ſhewid to þee. Manye forſoþe ſupplauntede þe ſuſpiſioun of hem, and in vanytee heeld doun þe wittis of hem.

Þe harde herte ſhal han euel in þe laſte; and þat looueþ perile, in it ſhal perſhen. Þe herte goende in to two weies, ſhal not han welſum chaunces; and þe ſhrewde herte in þem ſhal be ſclaundred. A wicke herte ſhal ben greeued in ſorewes; and þe ſynnere ſhal lei to to ſynnen. To þe ſynagoge of proude men ſhal not be helþe; forſoþe þe þicke buſh of ſynne in hem ſhal ben taken vp bi þe roote, and it ſhal not be vnderſtonde. Þe herte of þe wiſe man is vnderſtonde in wiſdam, and þe goode ere ſhal heren wiþ alle coueitende wiſdam. Þe wis herte and vnderſtandable ſhal abſtenen hymſelf from ſynnes, and in werkes of riȝtwiſneſſe welſum aftercomyngus ſhal han.

Brennende fyr water ſhal quenche, and almes deede aȝenſtandeþ to ſynnes. And God is þe forlookere of hym þat ȝeldeþ grace; he haþ mynde in to afterward, and in time of his falling he ſhal finde faſtnyng.