Ecclesiastes · Chapter 32

[ edit] A gouernour þee þei han ſett, wile þou not ben enhauncid; be þou in hem as oon of hem. Þe cure of hem haue þou, and ſo bihold; and al þi cure mad out, reſte. Þat þou glade for hem, and þe ournement of grace þou take; coroun, and dignete of þe congregacioun þou gete. Spec þou more þurȝ birþe; forſoþe þer ſemeþ þee ferſt þe wrd of loouende kunnyng; and lette þou not muſik. Where is not heering, heelde þou not out a ſermoun; and vncouenabli wile þou not ben enhauncid in þi wiſdam. A litil iemme of karbuncle in þe ournement of gold; and compariſoun of muſikes in þe feſte of wyn. As in forging of gold ſigne is of a ſmaragd, ſo þe noumbre of muſikis in myrie and temperat wyn.

Here þou beende ſtille, and for reuerence ſhal falle to þee good grace. Þou a ȝung ful waxen man, ſpec in þin owne cauſe vnneþe, whan nede ſhul be. If twies þou were aſkid, haue þe hed þin anſwere. In manye þingus be þou as vnkunnende, and here þou beende ſtille togidere and ſechende. To ſpeken in þe myddel of grete men ne bifor take þou; and wher ben olde men, not myche ſpec þou. Biforn hail ſhal go leiting, and biforn ſhamefaſtneſſe ſhal go grace, and for reuerence ſhal fallen to þee good grace. And in þe hour of riſing tyff þou þee not; ren biforn forſoþe firſt in to þin hous, and þere be þou clepid to, and þere pleye. And do þi conceyuyngus, and not in giltis, and in proud wrd.

Vp on alle þeſe þingus bliſſe þou þe Lord, þat made þee, and inwardli drunkinge þee of alle his goodis. Who dredeþ God, ſhal take þe doctrine of hym; and who ſhul wake to hym, ſhul finde bleſſing. Who ſecheþ þe lawe, ſhal be fulfild of it; and who aſpiendeli doþ, ſhal be ſclaundrid in it. Who dreden God, ſhul finde riȝtwis dom; and riȝtwiſneſſes as liȝt þei ſhul teende. A man ſynnere ſhal ſchone correccioun; and after his wil he ſhal finde compariſoun. A man of counſeil ſhal not diſtroȝe vnderſtonding; and an alien and a proud ſhal not ful dreden drede. Alſo aftir þat he dide wiþ hym wiþoute counſeil, and in his infolewingis he ſhal ben vndernome.

Sone, wiþoute counſeil no þing do þou; and aftir þi deede þou ſhalt not oþynke. In þe weie of falling go þou not, and þou ſhalt not offende aȝen ſtones. Ne betake þou þee to a trauailous wey, ne poote þou to þi ſoule ſclaunder; and of þi ſones be war, and of þi homli men tac heed. In al þi werk leeue of þe feiþ of þi ſoule; þis is forſoþe þe keping of þe heſtes. Who leeueþ to God, takeþ heed to þe heſtes; and who troſteþ in hym, ſhal not be laſſid.