Ecclesiastes · Chapter 35

[ edit] Who kepeþ þe wrd, multeplieþ oriſoun. Holſum ſacrifiſe is to taken heed to þe maundemens, and to gon awei fro alle wickidneſſe. And to ſacrifien pleſing of ſacrifiſe vp on vnriȝtwiſneſſes, and louli preȝing for ſynnes, to gon awei fro vnriȝtwiſneſſe. He ſhal ȝelde grace, þat offreþ tried flour; and þat doþ mercy, offreþ ſacrifiſe. Weel pleſid þing is to þe Lord, to gon awei fro wickidneſſe; and louly preȝing to gon awei fro vnriȝtwiſneſſe. Þou ſhalt not aperen bifor þe ſiȝte of þe Lord voide; forſoþe alle þeſe þingus for þe heſtus of God ben mad. Þe offring of þe riȝtwis fatteþ þe auter; and þe ſmel of ſwoteneſſe is in þe ſiȝte of þe heȝeſt.

Þe ſacrifiſe of þe riȝtwis is acceptid, and þe mynde of hym þe Lord ſhal not forȝete. Wiþ good wil ȝelde glorie to God, and laſſe þou not þe cheef frutis of þin hondis. In alle ȝifte glad mac þi chere, and in ful out ioȝing halewe þi dymes. Ȝif to þe heȝeſte aftir þe free ȝifte of hym; and in good eȝe mac þou þe finding of þin hondis. For ȝeldende is þe Lord, and ſeuenſiþe as myche he ſhal ȝelde to þee. Wile þou not offren ſhreude ȝiftus; forſoþe he ſhal not taken hem. And wile þou not biholden þe vnriȝtwis ſacrifiſe; for þe Lord is domes man, and þer is not anent hym glorie of perſone. Þe Lord ſhal not taken a perſone in to pore; and þe preȝing of þe hurt he ſhall ful out heren.

He ſhal not diſpiſe þe preȝeres of þe faderles child, ne þe widewe, yff ſhe heelde out þe ſpeche of weiling. Wheþer not þe teres of þe widewe at þe cheeke gon doun, and þe outcry of hir vp on þe ledyng doun of hem? Fro þe cheke forſoþe þei ſteȝen vp to heuen, and þe Lord herere ſhal not delyten in þem. Who honouriþ God in liking, ſhal ben reſſeyued; and þe lowe preȝyng of hym vnto þe cloudis ſhal neȝhe. Þe oriſoun of þe meekende hymſelf ſhal perſen cloudis, and to þe tyme þat it neȝhe, he ſhal not be coumfortid, and not gon awei, to þe tyme þat þe heȝeſt beholde.

And þe Lord ſhal not longen awey, but demen riȝtwis men, and don dom; and þe ſtrengeſte ſhal not han in hem pacience, þat he to-truble þe rigge of hem. And to Jentiles he ſhal ȝelde veniaunce, to þe tyme þat he take awei þe plente of proude men, and þe kingus dignetees of wicke men he totruble; to þe tyme þat he ȝelde to men aftir þer deedus, and aftir þe werkis of Adam, and aftir þe preſumpcioun of hym; to þe tyme þat he deme þe dom of his folc, and he ſchal delite riȝtwis men wiþ his mercy. Fair þe mercy of God in tyme of tribulacioun, as a cloude of reyn in tyme of droȝte.