Ecclesiastes · Chapter 24

[ edit] Wiſdam ſhal preiſen his ſoule, and in þe Lord he ſhal ben wrſhepid; and in þe myddel of his puple he ſhal glorien. And in þe chirches of þe heȝeſt he ſhal opene his mouþ; and in þe ſiȝte of þe vertue of hym he ſhal glorien. And in þe myddel of his puple he ſhal ben enhauncid; and in hoeli plente he ſhal myche wndren. And in þe multitude of choſen men he ſhal han preiſing; and among bliſſid men he ſhal ben bleſſid, ſeiende, I of þe mouþ of þe heȝeſt cam forþ, firſt goten biforn eche creature. I made in heuenus, þat vnfailende liȝt ſhulde ſpringe, and as a litil cloude I coueryd eche fleſh. I in þe heȝeſt þingus dwellede, and my trone in a piler of a cloude.

Þe cercle of heuene I cumpaſſide alone, and þe depþe of þe ſe I þirlede; and in þe flodis of þe ſe I wente, and in al erþe I ſtod. And in alle puple, and in alle folc of kinde þe firſþed I hadde; and of alle heȝe and lowe þe hertes bi vertue I trad; and in alle þeſe þingus reſte I ſoȝte, and in þe eritage of hym I ſhal wone. Þanne comaundide, and ſeide to me, þe foormere of alle þingus; and he þat foormede me, reſtede in my tabernacle; and ſeide to me, In Jacob dwelle þou, and in Irael eritage þou, and in my choſene put rootes. Fro þe bigynnyng and bifor worldis I am foormed, and vnto þe world to come I ſhal not ceſen to ben; and in hoeli wonyng beforn hym I ſeruede.

And ſo in Sion I am faſtned, and in an halewid cite lic maner I reſtede, and in Jeruſalem my power. And I rootede in a puple wrſhipid; and in to þe parties of my God þe eritage of hym, and in plente of halewes my wiþholding. As a cedre I am enhauncid in Liban, and as a cipreſſe in þe hil of Sion. And as a palm I am enhauncid in Cades, and as þe plaunting of a roſe in Jericho. As a fair olyue in feeldis; and as a platan I am enhauncid biſide þe water in ſtretes. As canel and balſam ſmellende, I ȝaf ſmel; and as choſe myrre I ȝaf ſwotneſſe of ſmel. And as torax, and galban, and vngula, and gutta, and as Liban not kut, I ſmekede my dwelling; and as balſame not mengd is my ſmel.

I as terebynt ſtreiȝte out my braunchis; and my braunchis of wrſhipe, and of grace. I as a vyne frutede ſwotneſſe of ſmel; and my floures frutes of honour, and of honeſte. I modir of fair loouyng, and of drede, and of knowing, and of hoeli hope. In me alle grace of weie, and of treuþe; in me alle hope of lif and of vertue. Paſſeþ to me, alle þat coueiten me; and of my ieneraciouns be ȝee fulfild. My ſpirit forſoþe ouer hony ſweete; and myn eritage ouer hony, and hony comb. My mynde in þe ieneracioun of worldis. Þei þat eten me, ȝit ſhul hungrin; and þat drinken me, ȝit ſhuln þriſten.

Who hereþ me, ſhal not be confoundid; and who werchen in me, ſhul not ſynnen; and who declaren me, euere laſtende lif ſhuln han. Alle þeſe þingus þe boc of lif, and þe teſtament of þe heȝeſt, and þe knouleching of treuþe. Moiſes comaundide þe lawe in þe heſtus of riȝtwiſneſſes, and þe eritage to þe hous of Jacob, and þe beheſtus to Irael. He ſette to Dauid, his child, to reren vp a king of hym moſt ſtrong, and in þe trone of wrſhipe ſittende in to euer mor. Þe which fulfilliþ, as Fiſon, wiſdam; and as Tigris in þe daȝes of newes. Þat fulfilleþ, as Eufrates, wit; þat multeplieþ, as Jordan in þe tyme of rip. Þat ſendeþ diſciplyne as liȝt; and ſtondynge to, as Jyon in þe dai of vyndage.

Þat parformeþ firſt to knowen it; and þe feblere ſhal not enſerchen it. Fro þe ſe forſoþe ſhal abunde þe þenking of hym; and þe counſeil of hym in þe grete depneſſe. I wiſdam heelde out floodis; I as an ouerþwert weie of watir wiþ oute meſure fro þe flood. I as þe flood Dorex, and as watir kundute wente out fro paradis. I ſeide, I ſhal watrin þe gardyn of my plauntingus; and I ſhal make drunke þe frut of my birþe. And lo! he is mad to me a plenteuous paþ; and my flood neȝhede to þe ſe. For doctrine as morutid liȝt I liȝte to alle; and I ſhal tellen out it vnto aferr.

I ſhal perſen alle þe neþere partis of þe erþe, and I ſhal biholde alle ſlepende; and I ſhal liȝtnen alle hopende in þe Lord. Ȝit doctrine as profecie I ſhal heelden out, and I ſhal leuen it to men ſechende wiſdam; and I ſhal not ceſen in to þe progenyes of þem, vnto þe hoeli ſpirituel world. Seeþ, for not to me alone I trauailede, but to alle ſechende out þe treuþe.