Ecclesiastes · Chapter 28

[ edit] Who wile taken veniaunce, of þe Lord ſhal finde veniaunce; and þe ſynnes of hym kepende he ſhal kepe. Forȝif to þi neȝhebore noȝende to þee, and þanne to þee lowli preȝende ſynnes ſhul ben forȝoue. A man to a man kepiþ wraþe; and of God he ſechiþ leching. In to a man lic to hymſelf he haþ not mercy; and of his ſynnes he ſhal preȝen. He whil he is fleſh, reſerueþ ire, and mercy aſkeþ of God; who ſhal preȝe for þe giltis of hym? Haue mynde of þi laſte þingus, and lef to ben enemy. Roteneſe forſoþe and deþ ſtonden on in þe heſtes of hym. Remembre þe drede of þe Lord, and þou ſhalt not wraþe to þe neȝhebore. Remembre þe teſtament of þe heȝeſt, and diſpiſe þe ignoraunce of þi neȝhebore.

Abſtene þee fro ſtrif, and þou ſhalt laſſen ſynnes. A man forſoþe wraþeful teendiþ ſtrif; and a man ſynnere ſhal diſturbe frendis, and in þe myddel of men hauende pes he ſendiþ in enemyte. Aftir forſoþe þe trees of þe wode, ſo þe fier brenneþ; and aftir þe vertue of a man, ſo þe wraþe of hym ſhal be, and aftir his ſubſtaunce he ſhal enhaunce his wraþe. An haſtid ſtrif ſhal teende fyr, and haſtende chidyng ſhal ſheden out blod; and a tunge witneſſende ſhal bringe to deþ. If it ſhul blowen, as fyr it ſhal brenne; and if þou ſhul ſpitten vpon it, it ſhal ben queynt; eiþer fro þe mouþ gon forþ. Þe whiſtrende grucchere, and þe twiſil tunge curſid; forſoþe manye hauende pes diſturbide.

Þe þridde tunge manye men ſtirede, and ſcaterede þem fro folc in to folc. Wallid cites of riche men it ſtroȝede, and þe houſis of grete men it mynede out. Þe vertues of puples it to-heewȝ, and ſtronge folkys of kinde it vnknytte. Þe þridde tunge ſtronge, or weddid, wymmen caſte out, and ſhal bynyme þem þer trauailes. Who biholdiþ it, ſhal not han reſte; ne ſhal han a frend, in which he reſt. Þe wounde of a ſcourge makeþ wanneſſe; þe wounde forſoþe of a tunge ſhal to-brooſen boenes. Manye fellen in þe mouþ of ſwerd; but not as þei dieden by þer tunge.

Blisful þat is couered fro a ſhreude tunge; þe which in þe wraþe of it paſſide not, and þe which droȝ not at þe ȝoc of it, and in þe bondis of it is not bounde. Þe ȝoc forſoþe of it is an irene ȝoc, and þe bond of it is a braſene bond. Þe deþ of it þe werſte deþ; and profitable helle more þan it. Þe ſtedefaſtneſſe of it ſhal not abide ſtille, but ſhal holde þe weies of vnriȝtwis men; in his flaume he ſhal not brenne riȝtwis men. Þei þat forſaken God, ſhul falle in to it; and it ſhal brenne out in þem, and it ſhal not be queynt; and it ſhal be ſent in to þem as a leoun, and as a parde it ſhal hurte þem.

Hegge þin eres wiþ þornes, and wile þou not heren þe ſhreude tunge; and to þi mouþ mac þou dores, and lokes to þin eres. Þi gold and þi ſeluer melt togidere; and to þi wrdis mac þou a balaunce, and riȝt bridelis to þi mouþ. And tac heed, leſt parauenture þou ſlyde in þe tunge, and þou falle in þe ſiȝte of þe enemys, waitende to þee, and þi fallyng be vnheleable in to þe deþ.