Ecclesiastes · Chapter 39

[ edit] The wiſdom of alle olde men þe wiſe man ſhal ful out ſechen; and in profetes he ſhal take heed. Þe telling of þe nemned men he ſhal kepen; and in to þe ſleiȝtes of parables togidere he ſhal entre. Þe hid þingus of prouerbis he ſhal ſechen out; and in þe hid þingus of parables he ſhal dwelle. In þe myddel of grete men he ſhal mynyſtre; and in þe ſiȝt of þe chef domes man he ſhal apere. In to þe lond of alien folkys he ſhal paſſe; goodus forſoþe and euelis in alle þingus he ſhal aſaȝe. His herte he ſhal take to wake þe morutid to þe Lord þat made hym; and in þe ſiȝt of þe heȝeſte he ſhal louli preȝen. He ſhal opene his mouþ in oriſoun; and for his giltus he ſhal louli preȝe.

If forſoþe þe grete Lord wile, wiþ þe ſpirit of vnderſtondyng he ſhal fulfille hym. And he, as reynes, ſhal ſende þe ſpeches of his wiſdam; and in oriſoun he ſhal knouleche to þe Lord. And he ſhal riȝt reule þe counſeil of hym, and dyſcyplyne; and in his hid þingus ſhal counſeilen. He open ſhal make þe diſciplyne of his lore; and in þe lawe of þe teſtament of þe Lord he ſhal glorien. Manye ſhal preiſe þe wiſdam of hym; and vnto þe world he ſhal not be don awey. Þe memorie of hym ſhal not go awei; and þe name of hym ſhal be ſoȝt fro ieneracioun in to ieneracioun. His wiſdam folkis of kynde ſhul telle out; and his preiſing þe chirche ſhal ſhewen out.

If his name ſchal abijde ſtille, he ſhal leue more þan a þouſend; and if he ſhul reſten, it ſhal profiten to hym. Ȝit I ſhal counſeilen þat I telle out, as wiþ wodneſſe forſoþe I am fulfild; and in voys he ſeiþ, Al aboute hereþ me, ȝee Goddus frutes, and as roſes plauntid vpon ryueres of watris, makeþ frutes. As Liban, ſmel of ſwoteneſſe haue ȝee. Floureþ floures, as lilie; ȝyueþ ſmel, and brauncheþ in to grace. And preiſiþ togidere þe ſong dite; and bliſſeþ þe Lord in his werkis. Ȝyueþ to his name gret doyng, and knoulecheþ to hym in þe vois of ȝoure lippis, in ſong dites of lippis, and in harpis; and þus ȝee ſhuln ſeyn in knoulechyng, Þe werkis of þe Lord, alle þei ben ful goode.

In þe wrd forſoþe of hym ſtood þe water as an hep; and in þe wrd of þe mouþ of hym as reſceyuyng places of watris. For in þe heſte of hym a pes makere is mad; and þer is not laſſyng in þe helþe of hym. Þe werkes of alle fleſh biforn hym; and þer is not any þing hid fro his eȝen. Fro þe world vnto þe world he biholdiþ; and no þing is merueilous in þe ſiȝt of hym. Þer is not to ſey, What is þis, or, What is þat? forſoþe alle þingus in þer tyme ſhul be ſoȝt. Þe bliſſing of hym as a flod ſhal flowe; and as þe vnyuerſel flod drunkede þe erþe, ſo þe wraþe of hym ſhal eritagen Jentyles, þat ſoȝten hym not out.

What manere he turnede watris in to droȝte, and þe erþe is dried, and þe weies of it to þe weies of þem ben forþ ſtraȝt; ſo to ſynneres offenciouns in þe wraþe of hym. Goodis to goode men ben foormed fro þe bigynnyng; ſo to moſt wicke men goodis and eueles. Þe bygynnyng of neceſſarie þing to þe lif of men, water, fyr, iren, and ſalt, and mylc, and bred of tried flour, and hony, and cluſtre of grape, and oile, and cloþing. Alle þeſe to hoely men in to goodus; ſo and to vnpitous men and to ſynneres in to eueles þei ſhul ben al turned. Þer ben ſpirites þat to veniaunce ben formed; and in þer wodneſſe þei confermeden þer tormentes.

And in tyme of ful endyng þei ſhul heelden out vertue; and þe wodneſſe of hym þat made þem þei ſhul ſhende. Fyr, hail, hungir, and deþ; alle þeſe to veniaunce ben foormed; teeþ of beſtes, and ſcorpiouns, and ſerpentes, and two bitende ſwerd veniende in to outlawyng vnpitous men. In þe heſtes of hym þei ſhul plenteuouſly eten, and vpon erþe in nede þei ſhul be greiþid; and in þer tymes þei ſhul not paſſe biſide a wrd. Þerfore fro þe bygynnyng I am confermede; and I counſeilede, and þoȝte, and ſcrites lafte. Alle þe werkes of þe Lord good; and ech werk in his hour ſhal vndermyneſtren. Þer is not to ſeyn, þis þan þat is werſe; forſoþe alle þingus in þer tyme ſhul be proued.

And now in alle herte and mouþ preyſeþ togidere, and bliſſeþ þe name of þe Lord.