Ecclesiastes · Chapter 7

[ edit] Wile þou not don eueles, and þei ſhul not cacche þee. Go awei fro þe wicke, and þer ſhul failen eueles fro þee. Sowe þou not eueles in foorewes of vnriȝtwiſneſſe, and þou ſhalt not repen þem in to þe ſeueþe fold. Wile þou not ſechen of a man þe dignete of a ledere, ne of a king þe chaȝer of wrſhepe. Iuſtefie þou not þee bifor God, for he ys knowere of þe herte; and anent þe king wile þou not wilne to ben ſeen wys. Wile þou not ſechen to be mad a domes man, but if þou mowe bi vertue breken wickidneſſes; leſt parauenture þou out drede þe face of þe myȝti, and putte ſclaunder in þin hider and þider deliuerneſſe.

Synne þou not in þe multitude of þe cite, ne poote þee in to þe puple; ne bynde þou to double ſynnes, ne forſoþe þou ſhalt be in oon gilteles. Wile þou not ben a couward in þi ſoule, to preȝen; and to don almeſſe deede, ne diſpiſe þou. Ne ſei þou, In þe multitude of my ȝiftus God ſhal beholde; and me offrende to þe heȝeſt God, my ȝiftis he ſhal take. Scorne þou not a man in þe bitterneſſe of ſoule; God forſoþe þe lokere aboute is, þat enhaunceþ and mekeþ. Wile þou not looue leſing aȝen þi broþer; and in to a frend lic maner do þou not. Wile þou not wilne to lien eche leſing; þe beſyneſſe forſoþe of hem is not good.

Wile þou not be ful of wrdis in þe multitude of preſtus; and reherſe þou not a wrd in þin oriſoun. Hate þou not trauailous werkes, and cherliſh doing foormed of þe heiȝeſt. Ne acounte þou þee in þe multitude of men wiþoute diſcipline. Haue mynde of wraþe, for it ſhall not tarie. Meeke gretli þi ſpirit, for veniaunce of þe fleſh of þe vnpitous, fyr and werm. Wile þou not treſpaſen in to þi frend delaȝende monie; ne diſpiſe þou þi derwrþe broþer for gold. Wile þou not gon awei fro a wel felende womman, and a good, whom þou haſt goten in þe drede of þe Lord; forſoþe þe grace of þe ſhamefaſtneſſe of hir ouer gold. Hurte þou not a ſeruaunt in treuþe werchende, ne an hired man ȝyuende his lif.

A wel felende ſeruaunt be to þee looued as þi ſoule; bygile þou not hym fro fredam, ne forſake þou hym helpeles. Beeſtis to þee ben? tac heed to þem; and if þei ben profitable, abide þei ſtille anent þee. Sonus ben to þee? tech hem, and bowe hem fro þe childhed of hem. Doȝtris ben to þee? keep þe body of hem, and ſhewe þou not þi face glad to þem. Bytac a doȝtir, and a gret werk þou ſhalt do; and to a wel felende man ȝif hyr. A womman if ſhe is to þee aftir þi ſoule, þroȝ hir not awei; and to an hateful tac þou not þee in al þin herte. Honoure þi fader; and þe weilingus of þi moder forȝete þou not. Haue mynde for but bi þem þou haddeſt not ben, and ȝeeld to þem what maner and þei to þee.

In al þi ſoule dred God, and þe preſtes of hym halewe. In al þi vertue looue hym þat made þee; and þe ſeruauns of hym forſac þou not. Wrſhepe þou God of al þi ſoule; and wrſhipe preſtus, and purge þee forþ wiþ armes. Ȝif to þem part, as and maundement is to þee, of firſt frutes, and of purging; and of þi necgligence purge þee wiþ fewe. Þe ȝifte of þin armes, and þe ſacrifiſe of halewing, þou ſhalt offre to þe Lord, þe bigynyngus of hoeli þingus. And to þe pore put forþ þin hond, þat pleſing be parformed, and þi bleſſyng. Grace of ȝifte in þe ſiȝte of alle lyuyng; and to þe deade forfende þou not grace. Fayle þou not to wepende men to ben in coumforting; and wiþ weilende men go þou.

Noȝe it not þee to viſiten þe ſike; of þeſe þingus forſoþe in louyng þou ſhalt be faſtned. In alle þi werkes haue in mynde þi laſte þyngus; and wiþoute ende þou ſhalt not ſynne.