Ecclesiastes · Chapter 19

[ edit] The drunkelew wercman ſhal not be mad riche; and who diſpiſiþ lytle þingis, litil mele doun falleþ. Wyn and wymmen maken alſo wiſe men to go bacward; and ſhuln vndernyme weel felende men. And who hymſelf ioyneþ to lecchoures, ſhal be wicked; rotenneſſe and wormes ſhuln eritagen hym, and his ſoule ſhal be taken awei fro þe noumbre. Who leeueþ ſoone, is liȝt in herte, and ſhal be leſſid; and who treſpaſeþ in to his ſoule, ferþermor ſhal ben had. Who ioȝeþ in wickidneſſe, ſhal ben vndernomen; and who hateþ correccioun, ſhal be laſſid in lif; and who hateþ myche ſpeche, quenchiþ malice. And who ſynneþ in to his ſoule, ſhal not do penaunce; and who is merie in malice, ſhal be repreued.

Reherce þou not an hard wrd, and a ſhreude; and þou ſhalt not be laſſid. To frend and enemy wile þou not telle þi wit; and if þer is to þee gilte, wile þou not nakenen. Forſoþe he ſhal heren þee, and kepe þee, and as defendende ſynne he ſhal hate þee; and ſo he ſhal be neeȝh to þee. Euermor haſt þou herd a wrd aȝen þi neȝhebore; abide it ſtille in þee, troſtende for it ſhal not to-breke þee. Fro þe face of þe wrd berþ out þe fool, as þe weiling of þe birþe of a child. An arewe ficchid in to þe hipe of an hound, ſo a wrd in þe herte of a fool. Chaſtiſe a frend, leſt par auenture he vnderſtond not, and ſeye, I dide not; or if he haue do, leſt eftſoone he adde to do.

Chaſtiſe a neȝhebore, leſt par auenture he ſhal not ſeyn; and if he ſeide, leſt par auenture he reherſe. Chaſtiſe a frend, ofte forſoþe is don treſpas; and not to eche wrd leeue þou. Þer is þat ſlideþ in his tunge, but not of inwit. Who is forſoþe, þat gilteþ not in his tunge? Chaſtiſe a neȝhebore, er þat þou þrete; and ȝif place to þe drede of þe heiȝeſt. For eche wiſdam þe drede of God, and in it to dreden God; and in alle wiſdam þe diſpoſing of þe lawe. And wiſdam is not þe diſciplyne of ſhreudeneſſe; and good þenking is not þe prudence of ſynnes. Þer is ſhreudeneſſe of prudence, and in it curſing; and þer is an vnwis man, þat is laſſid in wiſdam.

Betere is a man þat is laſſid in wiſdam, and failende wit in þe drede of God, þan þat aboundiþ in wit, and ouerpaſſiþ þe lawe of þe heiȝeſt. Þer is certeyn ſleeyneſſe, and it is wicke. And þer is, þat ſendeþ out a certeyn wrd, tellende out þe treuþe. Þer is, þat ſhreudely mekeþ hymſelf; and þe entrailes of hym ben ful of treccherie. And þer is a riȝtwis, þat myche vnderputtiþ hymſelf of myche mekneſſe; and þer is a riȝtwis, þat bowiþ in þe face, and feyneþ hym not to ſeen þat is vnknowen. And if of infirmyte of ſtrengþis he is forbeden to ſynnen; if he ſhal fynde tyme of euel doyng, he ſhal euele do. Of þe ſiȝte is knowen a man; and of þe aȝeen comyng of þe face is knowen þe weel felende.

Þe cloþing of þe body, and þe laȝhing of teþ, and þe goyng in of a man, tellen out of hym. Þer is liyng correccioun in wraþe of þe wrongful; and þer is dom þat is not preued to ben good; and þer is a beere ſtille, and he is prudent.