Ecclesiastes · Chapter 25

[ edit] In þre þingus pleſid is to my ſpirit, þat ben proued bifor God and man; þe acord of breþern, and þe looue of neȝhebores, and man and womman wel to þemſelf conſentende. Þre ſpices hatede my ſoule, and I am greued gretli to þe ſoule of þem; a pore man proud, and a riche man a liere, and an old man a fool and dotid. What þingis in þi ȝouþe þou haſt not gedered, hou ſhalt þou finde in þin eelde? How fair þe dom in hoorneſſe, and to preſtis to knowe kounſeil. How fair to olde men wiſdam, and glorious vnderſtonding, and counſeil. Þe coroun of olde men myche wiſdam; and þe glorie of þem dred of God.

Nyne vnouertrowable þingus of þe herte I magnefiede; and þe tenþe I ſhal telle in tunge to men. A man þat is ioȝid in ſones lyuende, and ſeende þe turnyng vpſodoun of his enemys. Blisful þat dwelliþ wiþ a womman weel felende, and þat in his tunge is not ſlyden, and þat ſeruede not to þe vnwrþi hymſelf. Blisful þat findiþ a verre frend, and þat telleþ out riȝtwiſneſſe to þe herende ere. Hou gret þat findiþ wiſdam and kunnyng; but not ouer þe dredende God. Þe drede of God ouer alle þingus hymſelf ſett aboue. Blisful þe man to whom it is ȝoue to han þe drede of God; who holdiþ it, to whom ſhal he be licned?

Þe dred of God þe bigynnyng of his looue; þe bygynnyng forſoþe of feiþ is to be ioyned to hym. Alle veniaunce is þe drery ſlowþe of herte; and eche malice þe wickidneſſe of a womman. And eche wounde, and not wounde ſhe ſhal ſeen of herte; and al ſhreudeneſſe, and not ſhreudeneſſe of a womman; and al hid þing, and not hid þing of hatende men; and al veniaunce, and not veniaunce of enemys. Þere is not an hed wickidere ouer þe hed of a ſhadewe eddere; and þere is not wraþe ouer þe wraþe of a womman. To dwelle wiþ a leoun and a dragoun more ſhal pleſen, þan to wone wiþ a ſhreude womman.

Þe ſhreudeneſſes of a womman chaungeþ hir face; and ſhe aȝeen blendide hir cheere as a bere, and as a ſac ſhe ſhal ſhewen in þe myddel of neȝhebores. Þe houſebond of hir gretli weilede; and herende, ſiȝhede a litil. Short alle malice ouer þe malice of a womman; þe lot of ſynnes falle vpon hir. As a graueli ſteeȝing vp in þe feet of an old man, ſo a tungy womman to a quyete man. Ne beholde þou þe fairneſſe of a womman, and coueite þou not a womman in fairneſſe. Þe wraþe of a womman and þe myſreuerence, gret ſhenſhipe. A womman if ſhe haue maiſtrie, ſhe is contrarie to hir houſebond. A loeȝ herte, and a dreri face, and a wounde of deþ, a ſhreude womman.

Feble hondis and vnlooſid knees, a womman þat makeþ not blisful hir houſebond. Of a womman is mad þe bigynnyng of ſynne; and bi hir alle wee die. Ȝyue þou not to þi watir iſſue, ne a litil; ne to a ſhreude womman forȝyueneſſe, or leeue, or fredam, of goyng out. If ſhe ſchal not go to þin hond, ſhe ſhal confounde þee in þe ſiȝte of enemys. Fro þi fleſh kut hir awei, leſt euermore ſche myſuſe þee.