Ecclesiastes · Chapter 33

[ edit] To þe dredende God eueles ſhul not meete; but in tempting God ſhal kepen hym, and delyueren hym fro euelys. Þe wiſe man hateþ not heſtes, and riȝtwiſneſſes; and he ſhal not ben hurtlid, as in þe tempeſt of a ſhip. A weel felende man leeueþ to þe lawe of God, and þe lawe feiþful to hym. Who þe aſking makeþ open, ſhal greiþe a wrd; and ſo louli preȝende he ſhal be ful out herd, and he ſhal kepe diſciplyne, and þanne he ſhal anſwern. Þe entrailes of a fool as þe whel of a carre, and as a turnende ful axtre þe þenkingus of hym. An hors courſer, ſo and a frend priue ſcornere, vnder eche man vpon ſittende neȝeþ. Whi dai þe dai ouercomeþ, and eft liȝt þe liȝt, and ȝer þe ȝer, ſunne þe ſunne?

Of þe kunnyng of þe Lord þei ben ſeuered, þe ſunne mad, and kepende þe heſte; bi þe wiſdam of God þei ben deuydid. And he ſhal chaunge þe tymes and þe feſte daȝes of hem, and in hem þe feſte daȝes þei haleweden at þe hour. Of hem God enhauncede and magnefiede; and of þem he putte in to þe noumbre of daȝes and ȝeres; and alle men of þe ſoil, and of þe erþe, wherof Adam was foormed. In þe multitude of þe diſciplyne of þe Lord he ſeuerede þem, and chaungide þe weies of þem. And of þem he bliſſede, and enhauncede; and of hem he halewide, and to hymſelf he preſentede; of hem he curſide, and mekede, and turnede þem to þe ſeueryng of hem.

As þe cley of þe crockere in þe hond of hym, to foormen and to diſpoſen it, alle þe weies of it aftir his diſpoſicioun; ſo a man in his hond þat made hym; and he ſhal ȝeelde to þem aftir his dom. Aȝen euel is good, and aȝen lif deþ; ſo and aȝen þe riȝtwis man þe ſynnere. And ſo bihold in to alle þe werkis of þe heȝeſt; two aȝen two, oon aȝen oon. And I þe laſte wakide, and as þat gedereþ cluſtris, aftir þe grape kutteres. In þe bleſſing of God and I myſelf hopede; and as he þat grapes kutteþ, I fulfilde preſſe. Beholdeþ, for not to me alone I trauailede, but to alle men ſechende out diſciplyne. Hereþ me, ȝee grete men, and alle puples; and ȝee gouernoures of þe chirche, wiþ eres parceyueþ.

To ſone, and wif, broþer, and frend, ȝif þou not power vp on þee in þi lif; and ȝyue þou not to an oþer þi poſſeſſioun, leſt it oþinke þee, and þou louli preȝe for hem. Whil ȝit þou art aboue, or lyueſt, and breþeſt, ſhal not chaungen þee alle fleſh. Betere is forſoþe, þat þi ſonus þee preȝen, þan þee to beholden in to þe hondus of þi ſonus. In alle þi werkes beforn paſſende be þou; ne ȝyue þou a wem in to þi glorie. In þe dai of þe ful endyng of þe daȝes of þi lif, and in tyme of þi deþ dele þin eritage. Metes, and ȝerde, and berþene to an aſſe; bred, and diſciplyne, and werk to a ſeruaunt.

He werkeþ in diſciplyne, and þe largid hond to hym ſecheþ to reſten, and ſecheþ fredam. Ȝoc and brydil reyne crooken þe harde necke; and þe ſeruaunt bowen beſy werkis. To þe euel willi ſeruaunt tormenting and gyues; put hym into werching, leſt he be voide; forſoþe myche malice idilneſſe taȝte. In werk ſet hym, ſo forſoþe it ſemeþ hym; þat if he here not, bowe hym wiþ gyues, and make þou not large vp on alle fleſh, but wiþ oute dom noo þing do þou heuy. If þer is to þee a feiþful ſeruaunt, be he to þee as þi lif; as a broþer ſo trete hym, for in blod of lif þou boȝtyſt hym.

If þou ſchalt hurte hym vnriȝtwiſly, in to fliȝt he ſhal ben turned; and if enhauncende he ſchal go awei, whom ſchalt þou ſeche, and in what weie þou ſchalt ſeche hym, þou woſt not.