Ecclesiastes · Chapter 37

[ edit] Eche frend ſhal ſeyn, And I frenſhipe couplede; but þer is a frend, bi only name a frend. Wheþer not ſorewe is in vnto deþ? A mete felawe forſoþe and a frend to enemyte ſhul ben turned. O! moſt ſhreude preſumpcioun, whennus art þou foormed to coueren drie malice, and þe treccherie of it? Þe mete felawe to þe frend ſhal be merie in likingus, and in þe dai of tribulacioun he ſhal be aduerſarie. A mete felawe to þe frend ſorewiþ wiþ, bi cauſe of þe wombe; and aȝen þe enemy he ſhal take ſheld. Forȝete þou not of þi frend in þin inwit, and be þou not vnmyndeful of hym in þi werkis. Wile þou nott counſelen wiþ þi wyues fader; and fro men enuyende to þee hyd counſeil.

Eche counſeiler diſcouereþ counſeil, but þer is a counſeiler in hymſelf. Fro an euel counſeiler kep þi ſoule; firſt wite þou, what be þe nede of hym, and what he in his inwit ſhal þenken; leſt par auenture he poote a pol, or a ſtake, in to þe erþe, and ſey to þee, Good is þi wey, and ſtonde aȝeenward, to ſeen what falle to þee. Wiþ an vnreligious man trete of hoolyneſſe, and wiþ þe vnriȝtwis man of riȝtwiſneſſe, and wiþ a womman of þo þingus þat ſhe enuyeþ. Wile þou not counſeilen wiþ hym þat haþ þee ſuſpect, and fro men enuyende to þee, hid þou þi counſeil.

Wiþ þe dredful trete of bataile, and wiþ þe marchaund, of caſtinge out of ſchyppe; wiþ þe biere, of ſilling, wiþ þe enuyous man, of graces to be don; wiþ þe vnpitouſe, of pite, wiþ þe vnhoneſt, of honeſte, wiþþe werkere, of alle werk; wiþ þe annuel werker, of þe ful endyng of þe ȝer, wiþ þe ſlowe ſeruaunt, of myche werchyng. Tac þou not heed to þeſe in al counſeil, but wiþ an hoely man be þou byſy, whom euere þou ſhalt knowe kepende þe drede of God, whos ſoule is aftir þi ſoule. Who euere ſhal wageren in dercneſſes, ſhal not togidere ſorewen to þee. And herte of good counſeil ſette þou wiþ þee; þer is not forſoþe to þee oþer more þan it.

Þe ſoule of an hoely man telleþ out oþer while ſoþis; more þan ſeuene lookeres aboute ſittende in to heiȝte to beholden. And in alle þeſe þingus louliche preȝe þe heȝeſt, þat he riȝt reule in treuþe þi wey. Biforn alle werkes a verre wrd go bifor þee; and biforn alle deede ſtable counſeil. A ſhreude wrd ſchal chaunge þe herte, of þe whiche foure partis ſpringen; good and euel, lif and deþ; and þe lordſhipere of þeſe is a byſy tunge. A wys man many men taȝte, and to his ſoule is ſweete. Who ſofiſtically ſpekeþ, is hateful; in alle þing he ſhal ben bigilid. Forſoþe þer is not ȝyuen to hym of þe Lord grace, forſoþe he is bigilid of alle wiſdom.

Þer is a wys man wiys to his ſoule, and þe frutes of þe wit of hym ben preiſable. A wis man techeþ his folc, and þe frutis of þe wit of hym ben feiþful. A wys man ſhal be fulfild wiþ bliſſingus, and men ſeende hym ſhul preiſen. Þe lif of a man in þe noumbre of daȝes; þe daȝes forſoþe of Irael ben vnnoumbreable. A wis man in puple ſhal eritagen wrſhipe, and þe name of hym ſhal ben lyuende in to wiþoute ende. Sone, in þi lif tempte þou þi ſoule; and if it were ſhreude, ȝif þou not to it power; forſoþe not alle þingus to alle ſpeden, and ne to eche ſoule eche kinde pleſeþ. Wile þou not ben gredy in alle plenteuous mete ȝyuyng, and heeld þee not out vpon eche mete.

In manye forſoþe metus ſhal ben infirmyte, and gredyneſſe ſhal neȝhen vnto colre. For glotonye manye men dieden; who forſoþe is abſtenent, ſhal eechen lijf.