Ecclesiastes · Chapter 21

[ edit] Sone, haſt þou ſynned? ne adde þou to eftſoone; but of þi raþere louly preye, þat to þee þei be forȝyuen. As fro þe face of a ſhadewe eddere flee ſynnes; and if þou ſchalt neȝhe to þem, þei ſhul take þee. Þe teeþ of a leoun þe teþ of it, ſleende þe ſoules of men. As a ſwerd two bitende eche wickidneſſe; of þe wounde of it is no helþe. Aȝeen chiding and wrongis to noȝt ſhul bringe ſubſtaunce; and þe hous þat ful myche is riche, ſhal be broȝt to noȝt bi pride; ſo þe ſubſtaunce of þe proude ſhal be taken vp bi þe roote. Þe lowe preȝyng of þe pore fro þe mouþ vnto þe ere ſhal come; and dom haſtili ſhal com to hym.

Who hateþ chaſtiſing, þe ſtep is of a ſynnere; and who dredeþ God, ſhal ben conuertid to his herte. Knowen fro aferr is þe myȝty in fool hardy tunge; and þe weel felende woot hym to ſlyde fro hym. Who bildiþ his hous wiþ oþer mennes coſtes, as þat gedereþ his ſtonus in wynter. A flax top gedered togidere þe ſynagoge of ſynneres; and þe ful ending of þem flawme of fyr. Þe weie of ſynneres togidere plauntid wiþ ſtones; and in to þe ende of þem helle, and peynes, and derkneſſes. Who ſhal kepe riȝtwiſneſſe, ſhal wiþholde þe wyt of hym. Ful ending of þe drede of God wiſdam and wit. He ſhal not be lerned, þat is not wis in goode.

Þer is forſoþe vnwiſdam, þat abundeþ in euel; and þere is not wit, where is bitterneſſe. Þe kunnyng of þe wiſe man as flowing ſhal abunde; and þe counſeil of hym as a welle of lif abit ſtille. Þe herte of þe fool as a veſſel to-broken; and alle wiſdam ſhal not holden. A wis wrd what euer he ſhal heren, þe kunnyng ſhal preiſen, and echen. Þe leccherous herde, and it ſhal diſpleſen hym; and he ſhal þrowe it bihinde his bac. Þe telling of a fool as berþen in þe weie; for in þe lippes of þe wel felende ſhal be founde grace. Þe mouþ of þe prudent is ſoȝte in þe chirche; and þe wrdis of hym þei ſhul þenke in þer hertes.

As an hous ſet out of termes, ſo a wiſdam to a fool; and þe kunnyng of þe mys felende vntellable wrdis. Gyues in feet doctrine to a fool; and as bondis of hondis vpon þe riȝt hond. Þe fool in laȝhing enhaunceþ his vois; forſoþe a wis man vnneþe ſtilleli ſhal laȝhen. A goldene ournement doctrine to þe prudent; and as an armcercle in þe riȝt arm. Þe foot of þe fool liȝt in to þe hous of þe neȝhebore; and a wis man ſhal be confoundid of þe perſone of þe myȝty. Þe fool fro þe wyndowe biholdiþ in to þe hous; þe lered man forſoþe wiþoute ſhal ſtonde. Þe folie of a man to herknen þurȝ þe dores; and þe prudent ſhal be greued wiþ ſtrif.

Þe lippes of vnprudent men folies ſhul tellen; þe wrdis forſoþe of prudent men in a balaunce ſhul ben peiſid. In þe mouþ of foolis þe herte of hem; and in þe herte of wiſe men þe mouþ of hem. Whan þe vnpitouſe curſeþ þe deuel, he curſeþ his owne ſoule. Þe rownende grucchere ſhal defoule his ſoule, and in alle þingus he ſhal ben hatyd, and þat abideþ, ſhal ben hatid; þe ſtille and þe wel felende ſhal ben wrſhipid.