Ecclesiastes · Chapter 6

[ edit] Wile þou not be mad for a frend enemy to þi neȝhebore; repref forſoþe and ſtrif þe euel man ſhal eritagen, and eche ſynnere enuyous and twiſil tungid. Ne enhaunce þou þee in þe þenking of þi ſoule, as a boole; leſt perauenture be hurtlid awei þi ſtrengþe bi folie, and þi lefes it ete, and þi frutes it leeſe, and þou be laft as a drie tree in wilderneſſe. A ſhreude forſoþe ſoule ſhal deſtroȝen hym þat haþ it, and in to ioȝe of his enemy it ȝyueþ hym, and ſhal bringe doun in to þe lot of vnpitous men. A ſweete wrd multeplieþ frendis, and ſwagiþ enemys; and a gracious tunge in a good man ſhal abounde. Manye peſible ben to þee, and counſeilour be to þee oon of a þouſend.

If þou weldiſt a frend, in temptacioun weld hym, and ne liȝtli opene, or trowe, þou þiſelf to hym. Þer is forſoþe a frend aftir his tyme, and ſchal not abide ſtille in þe dai of tribulacioun. And þer is a frend þat is turned to enemyte; and þer is a frend, þat hate, and ſtrif, and reprefes ſhal diſcoueren. Þer is forſoþe a frend, felawe of þe bord, and abidiþ not ſtille in þe dai of nede. A frend if he abide ſtille ſtablid, he ſhal be to þee as euene wiþ, and in þin homli þingus troſtli he ſhal do. If he ſhal meeken hymſelf aȝen þee, and hiden hymſelf fro þi face, þou ſhalt han good frenſhepe of o wil. Fro þin enemys be þou ſeuered, and of þi frendis tac heed.

A feiþful frend a ſtrong proteccioun; who forſoþe fyndeþ hym, fyndiþ treſor. To a feiþful frend is no compariſoun; þer is not wrþi peiſing of gold and of ſiluer aȝen þe goodneſſe of þe feiþ of hym. A feiþful frend leching of lif, and of vndeadlyneſſe; and who dreden þe Lord, ſhul finden hym. Who dredeþ þe Lord, euenly ſhal han good frenſhipe; for after hym ſhal ben his frend. Sone, fro þi ȝouþe tac doctrine, and vn to hoore heris þou ſhalt finde wiſdam. As he þat ereþ, and þat ſowiþ, neȝhe þou to it, and ſuſtene þe goode frutes of it. In þe werk forſoþe of it a litil þou ſhal trauailen, and ſoone þou ſhalt ete of þe getingus of it.

Hou ſharp ful myche is wiſdam to vnwiſe men, and þer ſhal not abide ſtille in it þe herteles. As þe vertue of a ſton, prouyng ſhal be in þem; and þei ſhul not abide to þrowe it afer. Þe wiſdam forſoþe of doctrine is after þe name of it, and not to manye it is opened; to whom forſoþe it is knowen, it abit ſtille, vnto þe ſiȝte of God. Here, ſone, and tac counſeil of vnderſtondyng, and caſte þou not awei my counſeil. Þroȝ in þi feet in to þe gyues of it, and in to þe coleris of it þi necke. Vnderlei þi ſhulder, and ber it, and ne bere þou heuyſumli in þe bondis of it. In al þin inwit neȝhe to it, and in al þi vertue kep þe weies of it.

Enſerche it, and it ſhal be mad open to þee; and þou mad wiþholding, ne forſake þou it. In þe laſte þingus forſoþe þou ſhalt finde reſte in it, and it ſhal be turned to þee in to liking. And þe gyues of it ſhul be to þee in to proteccioun of ſtrengþe, and þe feet of vertue, and þe coleris of it in a ſtoele of glorie. Þe fairneſſe forſoþe of lif is in it, and þe bondis of it holſum binding. Stoele off glorie þou ſhalt cloþen it, and a crowne of þanking þou ſhalt putte aboue to þee. Sone, if þou ſchalt take heed to me, þou ſhalt lerne it; and if þou leneſt to, or dreſſiſt, þin inwit, þou ſhalt be wis.

If þou boweſt in þin ere, þou ſhalt take doctrine; and if þou looue to heren, þou ſhalt be wis. In þe multitude of prudent preſtis ſtond þou, and to þe wiſdam of hem of herte be þou ioyned; þat al þe telling of God þou mowe heren, and þe prouerbis of preiſyng aſcape not fro þee. And if þou ſee þe wel felende man, wake out to hym, and þi foot ofte trede þe grees of þe dores of hym. Þenking haue þou in þe heſtes of God, and in þe maundemens of hym moſt biſi be þou; and he ſhal ȝyue to þee an herte, and coueytinge of wiſdam ſhal ben ȝoue to þee.