Ecclesiastes · Chapter 42

[ edit] Ne double þou þe ſermoun of heering, of þe openyng of þe hid wrd; and þou ſhalt ben verrely wiþoute confuſioun, and þou ſhalt fynde grace in þe ſiȝt of alle men. Ne for alle þeſe þingus be þou confoundid; and ne accepte þou perſone, þat þou gilte of þe lawe of þe heȝeſt, and of þe teſtament of dom, to iuſtefien þe vnpitouſe; of þe wrd of felawes, and of weie goeres, and of þe ȝyuyng of þe eritage of frendis; of þe euenes of balaunces, and of weiȝtes, of purchaſyng of manye þingus, and of fewe; of þe corrupcioun of biyng, and of marchaundis, and of myche diſciplyne of ſonus; and of þe werſt ſeruaunt, to make þe ſide to bleden. Vp on a ſhreude womman good is a ſigne.

Where ben many hondis, cloſe þou; and what euere þou ſhalt take, noumbre þou, and peiſe; þe ȝyuen þing forſoþe, and þe taken, al diſkryue, or wryte. Of þe diſciplyne of þe mysfelende, and of þe fool, and of þe elderes, þatt ben demed, of þe ȝunge waxen men; and þou ſhalt ben lerned in alle þingus, and prouable in þe ſiȝte of alle men.

Þe doȝter of þe fader is hid, þe wache and þe byſyneſſe of hir ſhal don awey ſlep; leſt par auenture in hir ȝunge waxen age auoutreſſe ſhe be mad, and wiþ a man dwellende, hatefull ſhe be mad; leſt any tyme ſhe be pollutid in hir maydenhed, and in hir fader keping ſhe be founde wiþ child; leſt par auenture wiþ hir man dwellende, ſhe treſpaſſe, or certus bareyn ſhe be mad. Vp on a leccherous doȝtir ſet warde, leſt any tyme ſhe make þee in to repref to comen to þin enemys, of bacbiting in þe citee, and of caſting awey of þe puple; and ſhe confounde þee in þe multitude of þe puple. To alle men wile þou not taken heed in þe fairneſſe; and in þe myddel of wymmen wile þou not dwellen.

Forſoþe of cloþis comeþ þe moȝhe, and of a womman þe wickidneſſe of a man. Betere forſoþe is þe wickidneſſe of a man, þan a womman doende benefet, and a womman confoundende in to repref. Myndeful be Y ſhal þerfore of þe werkes of þe Lord; and which I ſaȝ, I ſhal ſhewen out, in þe wrdis of þe Lord, his werkus. Þe ſunne ſhynende þurȝ alle þingus biheeld; and of þe glorie of þe Lord ful is his werk. Wheþer not þe Lord made ſeyntes to tellen out alle his merueiles, þe whiche þe Lord almyȝty ſhal confermen ſtable in his glorie? Þe depþe of þe ſe, and þe herte of men he ſhal enſerchen; and in þe ſlyȝe wit, or gile, of hem he ſhal out þenke.

Þe Lord forſoþe kneȝ al kunnyng, and beheeld in to þe tocne of þe ſpiritueell world; ſhewende out þat ben paſſid, and þat ben ouer to come; openende þe ſteppis of hid þingus. And þer paſſeþ not biſide hym any þenking, and any wrd hidde not it ſelf fro hym. He made faire þe grete wrþi werkes of his wiſdam, þe whiche is biforn þe world, and vnto þe world; ne it is echid, ne it is laſſid, and it nedeþ not þe counſeil of any man. Hou deſirable ben alle þe werkes of hym, and as a ſparcle þat is, to beholden. Alle þeſe þingus lyuen, and dwellen in to þe world; and in alle nede alle þyngus obeſhen to hym. Alle þingus double, oon aȝen oon; and he made not any þing to failen.

Of euery þing he ſhal conferme þe goodus; and who ſhal be fulfild, ſeende þe glorie of hym, and who witende ſhal conferme þe ſtrengþe of hym?