Ecclesiastes · Chapter 9

[ edit] Be þou not gelouſe to þe womman of þi boſum; leſt ſhe ſhewe vp on þee þe malice of ſhreude doctrine. Ȝyue þou not to a womman power of þi ſoule; leſt ſhe go in to þi vertue, and þou be confoundid. Behold not a womman myche wilnende; leſt par auenture þou falle in to þe ſnares of hir. Wiþ a lepereſſe, or tumbler, be þou not beſy, ne here hir; leſt par auenture þou perſhe in þe delyuere doyng of hir. A maiden beholde þou not; leſt par auenture þou be ſclandred in þe fairneſſe of hir. Ȝyue þou not to lecchoures þi ſoule in any þing; leſt þou leeſe þee, and þi ſoule, and þin eritage. Wile þou not beholden aboute in þe weies of þe cite; ne erre þou aboute in þe ſtretis of it.

Turne awei þi face fro a gai womman; and beholde þou not aboute ſtraunge fairneſſe. For þe fairneſſe of a womman manye men perſheden; and of it luſt as fyr brenneþ out. Eche womman þat is leccherous, as a þoſt in þe weie ſhal ben to-treden. Þe fairneſſe of an alien womman many men wndrid ben mad repreuable; forſoþe þe togidere ſpeche of hir as fyr brenneþ out. Wiþ an alien womman outerli ſitte þou not, ne ly þou wiþ hir vp on þe arm; and ſtriue þou not wiþ hir in wyn, leſt par auenture ſhe bowe doun þin herte in to hir, and bi þi blod þou ſlyde in to perdicioun. Forſake þou not an old frend; forſoþe þe newe ſhal not be lic to hym.

Newe wyn a newe frend; it ſhal waxen old, and wiþ ſwetneſſe þou ſhalt drinke it. Looue þou not þe glorie and þe richeſſis of þe ſynnere; forſoþe þou woſt not, what be to come þe turnyng vp ſo doun of hym. Pleſe not to þee þe wrong of vnriȝtwis men, witende for vnto helle þe vnpitous ſhal not pleſen. Aferr be þou awei fro a man hauende power of ſleyng, and not of rering, and þou ſhalt not ouertrowen þe dred of deþ; and if þou neȝheſt to hym, wile þou not any þing don amys, leſt par auenture he take awei þi lif. Þe comunyoun of deþ wite þou; for in þe myddil of grenes þou ſhalt gon in, and vp on þe armes of men ſorewende þou ſhalt gon.

Aftir þi vertue war þee fro þi nexte, or neyȝbore; and wiþ wiſe men and prudent men trete þou. Riȝtwis men be þei to þee metefelawes; and in þe drede of God be to þee gloriyng. And in þe wit be to þee þenking of God; and al þi telling out in þe heſtes of þe heȝeſt. In þe hond of craftis men werkes ſhul ben preiſid, and þe prince of a puple in wiſdam off his ſermoun; in þe wit forſoþe of elderes a wrd. Ferful is in his cite a tungy man; and þe fool hardy in hys woord hateful ſhal ben.