Ecclesiastes · Chapter 11

[ edit] The wiſdam of þe mekid ſhal enhauncen þe hed of hym; and in þe myddel of grete men to ſitten ſhal maken hym. Preiſe þou not a man in his fairneſſe; ne diſpiſe þou a man in his ſiȝt. Short in foules is a bee; and þe bigynnyng of ſwetneſſe þe frut of hym haþ. In cloþing glorie þou neuermor, ne in þe dai of þi wrſhipe be þou enhauncid; for merueilous þe werkes of þe heȝeſt alone, and glorious, and hid, and vnſeen þe werkes of hym. Manye tirauntis ſeten in trone; and þe vntrouable, or of whom was no ſuſpicioun, bar þe diademe. Manye myȝti ben opreſſid gretly; and þe glorious ben taken in to þe hondis of oþere men.

Beforn þat þou aſke, ne blame þou any man; and whan þou ſhalt aſken, chaſtyſe þou riȝtly. Beforn þat þou here, ne anſwere þou a wrd; and in þe myddel of eldere men ne ley þou to to ſpeken. Of þat þing þat greeueþ not þee, ſtriue þou not; and in þe myddel of ſynneres ne abide þou. Sone, be not in manye þingis þi deedus; and if þou were riche, þou ſhalt not ben gilteles fro treſpas. If forſoþe þou ſhalt folewe, þou ſhalt not ouertaken; and if þou ſhul renne biforn, þou ſhalt not ſcapen. Þer is a man trauailende, and heȝende, and ſorewende vnpitous; and ſo myche more he ſhal not abounde.

Þer is a man welewid, nedende rekuring, more failende in vertue, and abundende in poreneſſe; and þe eȝe of God beheeld hym in goode, and rerede hym fro his lowneſſe, and enhauncide his hed; and manye merueileden in hym, and wrſhepiden God. Goodis and eueles, lif and deþ, poreneſſe and honeſte, ben of God. Wiſdam, and diſciplyne, and kunnyng of þe lawe anent þe Lord; loouyng and þe weies of goode men anent hym. Errour and dercneſſes to ſynneres ben foormed; who forſoþe ful out ioȝen in to euell, waxen old togidere in to euelis. Þe ȝyuyng of God abidiþ ſtille to riȝtwis men; and þe profitus of it welſum aftircomyngus ſhuln han in to wiþoute ende.

Þer is þat is mad riche ſcarſly doende, and þis þe part of þe meede of hym, in þat þat he ſeiþ, I fond reſte to me, and now I ſhal eten of my goodis alone. And he wot not þat tyme paſſe biſide hym, and deþ neȝheþ, and he forſakeþ alle þingus to oþere men, and die. Stond in þi teſtament, and in it ſpec togidere; and in þe werk of þin heſtis wax old. Abide þou not in þe werkes of ſynneres; troſte forſoþe in God, and dwel in þi place. Liȝt is forſoþe in þe eȝen of God, ſodeynly to honeſten þe pore. Þe bliſſing of God in to þe meede of þe riȝtwiſe heeȝeþ; and in ſwift wrſhipe þe forþ goyng of hym makeþ fruyt. Ne ſey þou, What to me is nede? and what godis ſchulen be to me her aftir?

Ne ſey þou, I am ſuffiſaunt, and what of þis I ſhall be mad werſe? In þe day of goodis be þou not vnmyndeful of eueles, and in þe dai of eueles be þou not vnmyndeful of goodis; for liȝt is bifor God in þe day of deþ to ȝelden to eche aftir his weies. Þe malice of oon hour makeþ forȝetynge of moſt leccherie; and in þe ende of a man ful nakenyng of þe werkis of hym. Bifor deþ preiſe þou not any man; for in his ſonus is knowen a man. Not eche man bringe þou in to þin hous; manye forſoþe ben þe ſpies of þe treccherous.

As forſoþe þe entrailes of ſtinkende þingus bolken out, and as þe partrich is broȝt in to þe pit falle, and as a capret in to þe grene, ſo and þe herte of proude men; and as þe forlookere ſeende þe falling of his neȝhebore. Forſooþe goode þingus in to euel turnyng he aſpieþ, and in choſen men he leiþ vp a wem. Of oo ſparcle fyr is eechid, and of oon treccherous blood is encreſid; a man forſoþe ſynnere waiteþ to blood. Tac heed to þee fro þe deþ berere, forſoþe he forgeþ eueles; leſt perauenture he bringe vp on þee ſcornyng in to wiþ oute ende. Reſceyue to þee an alien womman, and ſhe ſhal turne þee vp ſo doun in a whirlewynd, and alienen þee fro þi propre weies.