Ecclesiastes · Chapter 38

[ edit] Honoure þe leche, for nede; forſoþe hym foormede þe heȝeſt. Of God forſoþe is alle leching; and fro þe king he ſchal take ȝyuyng. Þe diſciplyne of þe leche ſhal enhaunſe þe hed of hym; and in þe ſiȝte of grete men he ſhal ben preiſid. Þe heȝeſt foormede of þe erþe medycyne; and þe prudent man ſhal not agriſen it. Wheþer not of þe tree is mad ſweete þe bitter water? At þe knowleching of men þe vertue of þem; and þe heȝeſt ȝaf to men kunnyng, to be wrſhipid in his merueiles. In þeſe þingus he curende ſhal ſwage ſorewen, and þe oynement makere ſhal make pymentis of ſwoteneſſe, and enoyntingus he ſhal make of helþe; and þe werkis of hym ſhul not ben ful endid.

Þe pes forſoþe of God vpon þe face of þe erþe. My ſone, in þin infirmytee ne diſpiſe þou þiſelf; but prei þe Lord, and he ſhal cure þee. Turne awei fro gilte, and dreſſe þou þe hondis, and fro alle gilte clenſe þin herte. Ȝif ſwetneſſe, and mynde of tried flour, and mac fat þe offring; and ȝif ſtede to þe leche. Forſoþe þe Lord foormede hym, and go he not awei fro þee; for his werkis ben nedeful. Þer is forſoþe tyme, whan þou renne in to þe hondis of hem. Þei forſoþe þe Lord ſhul louly preiȝen, þat he riȝt reule þe reſte of hem, and helþe for þer conuerſacioun. Who gilteþ in his ſiȝt, þat made hym, ſhal falle in to þe hondus of þe leche.

Sone, in to þe deade bringe forþ teris, and as harde þingus ſuffrid bigyn to wepe; and aftir dom touche his body, and diſpiſe þou not þe biriyng of hym. For þe acuſing forſoþe bitterly ber weilyng of hym o dai; and tac coumfort for heuyneſſe. And do weilyng after þe deſeruyng of hym o dai, or two, for bacbiting. Of ſorewi ſlouþe forſoþe heeȝeþ deþ, and couereþ vertue; and ſorewi ſlouþe of herte boowiþ þe nol. In ledyng awei dwelliþ ſtille ſorewy ſlouþe; and þe ſubſtaunce of þe helpeles aftir þe herte of hym. Ne ȝyue þou þin herte in ſorewy ſlouþe, but putte it awei fro þee; and haue mynde of þe laſte þingus, and wile þou not forȝeten.

Ne forſoþe þer is conuerſacioun, and to þis þou ſchalt no þing profiten; and þi ſelf þou ſhalt werſt treten. Myndeful be þou of my dom; ſo forſoþe it ſhal ben and þin, to me ȝiſterdai, and to þee to day. In þe reſte of þe deade mac to reſten þe mynde of hym; and coumforte hym in þe goyng out of his ſpirit. Wiſdom wrijt in tyme of voydeneſſe; and who is laſſid in deede, wiſdom ſhal parceyue; for wiþ wiſdom he ſhal be fulfild. Who holdeþ þe ploȝ, and who glorieþ in þe ſpere, wiþ þe pricke ſtereþ þe oxen, and woneþ in þe werkis of hem; and þe telling of hym in þe ſonus of booles. His herte he ſhal ȝyue to ben turned þe forewis; and þe wach of it in þe fatneſſe of kyn.

So eche ſmyþe, and cheef werkere, þe whyche þe nyȝt as þe day ouerdoþ; þe whyche grauede grauen broochis, and þe byſyneſſe of hym varieþ þe peynture; his herte he ſhal ȝyue into þe licneſſe of peynture, and his waking parformeþ þe werk. So þe iren ſmyþ ſittende biſide þe ſtiþie, and biholdende þe werk of þe iren, þe humour of þe fyr brenneþ his fleſh; and in þe hete of þe furneys he trauailiþ wiþ ſtryif. Þe vois of hamer ennewiþ his ere; and aȝen þe licneſſe of þe veſſel þe eȝe of hym. His herte he ſhal ȝyue in to þe ful ending of þe werkis; and his waking ſhal enourne þe inparfitneſſe.

So þe crockere ſittende at his werk, turnende wiþ his feet þe whel, þe whiche in beſyneſſe is put euermor for his werk; and wiþ oute noumbre is al þe werking of hym. In his arm he ſhal foormen þe cley; and bifoorn his feet he ſhal crooken his vertue. His herte he ſhal ȝyue, þat he ful ende þe daubing; and his waking ſhal clenſe þe furneys. Alle þeſe in þer hondis hopeden; and echon in þer craft is wys. Wiþoute alle þeſe is not bild vp þe cyte. And þei ſhul not wonen in, ne gon in; and in to þe chirche þei ſhul not ouerlepen.

Vpon þe ſete of þe domys man þei ſhul not ſitte; and þe teſtament of dom þei ſhul not vnderſtonde, ne maken opene diſciplyne, and dom; and in parablis þei ſhul not ben founde. But þe creature of ſpirituel tyme þei ſhul confermen, and þe lowe preȝing of hem in werking of craft; leeuende to þer ſoule, and togidere ſechende in þe lawe of þe heȝeſte.