Ecclesiastes · Chapter 13

[ edit] Who ſhal touche pich, ſhal be defoulid of it; and who ſhal comunen to þe proude man, ſhal cloþin pride. Berþen vp on hym he takeþ, þat comuneþ to þe honeſtere þan hymſelf; and to þe richere þan þou, þou ſhalt not ben felawe. What ſhal comune þe caudron to þe pot? whan forſoþe þei ſhuln hurtle þemſelf, it ſhal ben to-broken. Þe riche man vnriȝtwiſly dide, and ſhal gnaſte; þe pore man forſoþe hurt ſhal holde his pes. If þou ſhul ȝyue, he ſhal take þee; and if þou haue not, he ſhal forſake þee. If þou haue, he ſhal lyue wiþ þee, and auoide þee out; and he ſhal not ſorewen vpon þee.

If þou were neceſſarie to hym, he ſhal bigile þee; and vnder laȝhende hope he ſhal ȝyue, tellende to þee alle goodes; and ſhal ſeyn, What nede is to þee? And he ſhal confounde þee in his metes, to þe tyme he neentiſhe þee twies or þries, and in þe laſte he ſhal ſcorne þee; aftirward ſeende he ſhal forſake þee, and hys hed moue to þee. Be þou mekid to God, and abid his hondis. Tac heed, leſt deſceyued in folie þou be mekid. Wile þou not be meeke in þi wiſdam, and leſt lowid in to folie þou be lad aſide. Clepid to of þe myȝtyere, go awey; of þat forſoþe more he ſhal clepe þee to. Be þou not to gredi, leſt þou be put aȝeen; and be þou not fer fro hym, leſt þou go in to forȝeting.

Ne wiþholde þou of euene to ſpeken wiþ hym, and trowe þou not to þe manye wrdis of hym; forſoþe of myche ſpeche he ſhal tempte þee, and vnder laȝhende þe vnmylde inwit of hym ſhal aſke þee of þin hid þingus. And he ſhal to gedir kepe þi wrdis, and not ſparen fro malice, and fro bondis. War to þee, and tac heed biſili to þin heering; for wiþ þy turnyng vpſodoun þou goſt. Heerende forſoþe þo þingus, as in ſweuenes ſee, and þou ſhalt waken. In al þi lif looue God, and inwardli clep hym in þin helþe. Eche beſte looueþ lic to hym; ſo and eche man þe nexte to hym. Eche fleſh to his lijch ſhal be ioyned, and eche man to his lic ſhal be felaſhepid.

As a wlf ſhal comune to a lomb oþerwhile, ſo a ſynnere to a riȝtwis. What comunycacioun to an hoeli man at a dogge? or what good parti to a riche man at a pore? Hunting of a leoun an aſſe in wilderneſſe; ſo pore men ben þe leſwe of riche men. And as abhominacioun to a proud man is mekneſſe, ſo and curſing of þe riche is þe pore. Þe riche man ſtirid is confermed of his frendis; þe meeke forſoþe, whan he ſhal falle, ſhal be put out alſo fro knowen. To þe riche deſceyued manye ben rekureres; he ſpac proudli, and þei iuſtefieden hym. Þe meeke is deſceyued, ferþermor and vndirnomyn; he ſpac felendely, or wiſely, weel, and þer is not ȝoue to hym a place.

Þe riche ſpac, and alle heelden þer pes; and þe wrd of hym vnto þe cloudys þei ſhul bern. Þe pore ſpac, and þei ſeyn, Who is þis? and if he ſchal offende, þei ſhul turne hym vp ſo doun. Good is ſubſtaunce, to whom is not ſynne in concience; and moſt wicke is porenes in þe mouþ of þe vnpitous. Þe herte of a man chaungeþ þe face of hym, or in good or in euel. Þe ſtep of a good herte, and a good face, hard þou ſhalt fynde, and wiþ trauaile.