Ecclesiastes · Chapter 23

[ edit] Lord, fader, and lordſhipere of my lif, ne forſake þou me in þe þenking and þe counſeil of þem; and ſuffre þou me not to fallen in þat reprouyng. Who puttiþ vp on in my þenking ſcourgis, and in myn herte doctrine of wiſdam, þat to þe vnknowyngus of þem he ſpare not to me, and apere not þe giltis of þem? Leſt waxen to myne vnkunnyngneſſes, and ben multeplied my giltis, and my ſynnes abunden; and I falle in þe ſiȝte off myn aduerſaries, and myn enemy ioȝe. Lord, fader, and God of my lif, ne forſake þou me in þe þenking of hem. Þe enhauncyng of myn eȝen ne ȝyue þou to me; and al deſyr turne awei fro me.

Do awei fro me luſtis of þe wombe, and þe liggyngus of luſt ne take þei me; and to vnreuerent inwit and vndiſcreet ne take þou me. Þe doctrine of þe mouþ here ȝee, ſonis; and þat ſhal kepen it, ſhal not perſhen in his lippis, ne ſhal be ſclaundrid in þe werſte werkes. In his vanyte is caȝt þe ſynnere and þe proude man; and þe curſid ſhal be ſclaundred in hem. To ſwering vſe not þi mouþ; manye forſoþe fallingus in it. Þe nemnyng forſoþe of God be not contynuel in þi mouþ, and to þe names of ſeyntus be þou not mengd; for þou ſhalt not ben harmles of hem. As forſoþe a ſeruaunt aſkid biſily, fro wanneſſe, or enuye, is not mynuſht; ſo eche ſwerere and nemnyng, in al fro ſynne ſhal not be purgid.

A man myche ſwerende ſhal be fulfild wiþ wickidneſſe; and þer ſhal not gon awei fro þe hous of hym veniaunce. And if he ſhul bigile þe broþer, þe gilte of hym vpon hym ſhal be; and if he ſhul feyne, he ſhal treſpaſen double. And if in veyn he ſhul ſwern, he ſhal not be iuſtefied; forſoþe wiþ werſt ȝelding ſhal be fulfild þe hous of hym. Þer is and an oþer ſpeche aȝeenward in to deþ; be it not founde in þe eritage of Jacob. Forſoþe of mercyful men alle þeſe þingus ſhul be don awey; and in giltis þei ſhul not often turne. To þe vndiſciplynous ſpeche vſe not þi mouþ; forſoþe þer is in it þe wrd of ſynne. Haue mynde of fader and þi moder; in þe myddel forſoþe of grete men þou ſtondiſt.

Leſt parauenture God forȝete þee in þe ſiȝte of hem; and þurȝ þi biſyneſſe gretli maad foul, repref þou ſuffre, and haddeſt leuere not to be born, and þe dai of þi birþe þou curſe. A man vſid in wrdys of repref, in alle his daȝes ſhal not be lered. Two kindis abundyn in ſynnes, and þe þridde bringeþ to wraþe and perdicioun. A fel ſoule as fyr brennende ſhal not be quenchid, to þe tyme ſum what he ſwolewe; and a ſhreude man in þe mouþe of his fleſh ſhal not leuen, to þe time he teende fyr. To a leccherous man eche bred ſweete; he ſhal not be weri, treſpaſende vnto þe ende. Eche man þat ouergoþ his bed, diſpiſende in to his ſoule, and ſeiende, Who ſeeþ me?

Dercneſſes cumpaſſen me, and þe walles coueren me aboute, and no man aboute biholdeþ me. Whom drede I? Of my giltis þe heiȝeſt ſhal not han mynde. And he vndirſtont not, for alle þingus þe eȝe of hym ſeeþ, for he putte awei fro hym þe drede of God; of ſuch a maner man is drede, and þe eȝen of men dredende hym. And he kneȝ not, for þe eȝen of þe Lord ben myche more liȝtere ouer þe ſunne, biholdende aboute alle þe weies of men, and þe depþe of þe ſe, and þe hertes of men biholdende in to þe hidde partis. To þe Lord God forſoþe, er þei weren foormed, alle þingis ben knowen; ſo and aftir þe parformed he biholdiþ alle þingus.

Þis in þe ſtretes of þe cite ſhal be vengid; as an horſe colt he ſhal be dryue, and wher he hopeþ not, he ſhal be caȝt. And he ſhal ben vileny to alle; forþi þat he vnderſtod not þe drede of þe Lord. So and eche womman forſakende hir man, ſhal ſynnen, and ſettende eritage of an aliene matrimoyne. Firſt in þe lawe of þe heȝeſt ſhe was vnleeueful, and þe ſecunde hir man ſhe forſok; þe þridde in auoutrie ſhe dide leccherie, and of an oþir man ſonus ſhe ſette to hirſelf. Þis in to þe chirche ſhal be broȝt, and in to þe ſonus of hir ſhall ben lookid. Þe ſonus of hir ſhul not taken rootis, and þe braunches of hir ſhul not ȝyuen fruyt.

Þei ſhul leuen in to curs þe mynde of hir, and þe vilenye of hir ſhal not be don awei. And þei ſhul knowe, for þei ben forſaken; for no þing betere þan þe dred of God, and no þing ſwetere þan to biholden in þe maundemens of þe Lord. Gret glorie is to folewe þe Lord; lengþe forſoþe of daȝes ſhal ben taken to of hym.