Ecclesiastes · Chapter 46

[ edit] Strong in bataile Jeſus Nauee, þe ſucceſſour of Moiſes in profetes, þat was gret aftir his name. Moſt in to þe helþe of þe choſen men of God, to fiȝten out þe enemys aȝenriſende, þat he ſhulde han afterward þe eritage of Irael. What glorie he hadde in taking vp his hondis, and in caſtynge aȝen þe cites twey bitende ſwerdis. Who biforn hym ſo wiþſtod? for whi þe enemys þe Lord ſmot. Or not in wraþefulneſſe of hym is lettid þe ſunne, and o dai is mad as two? He inwardli clepede þe heȝeſt, myȝti in aȝenfiȝting his enemys on eiþer ſide; and þe grete and hoely God herde hym, in þe grete ſtones of hail of ful gret vertue.

A bure he made aȝen þe enmyable folc; in þe goyng doun he diſtroȝede þe contrarious; þat þe Jentilis knowe þe myȝt of hym, for aȝen þe Lord to fiȝte is not liȝt; and he folowede þe myȝti men bihinde. And in þe daȝes of Moiſy mercy dide he, and Calef, þe ſone of Jefone; to ſtonde aȝen þe enemy, and to forfende þe folc fro ſynnes, and to drawen awei þe grucching of þe malice. And þei two ordeyned fro þe perile ben deliuered, fro þe noumbre of ſix hundrid þouſend foot men, to bringe þem in to þe eritage, in to þe lond þat flowiþ mylc and hony.

And þe Lord ȝaf to Calef ſtrengþe, and vnto eelde abod ſtille to hym vertue; þat he ſhulde ſteȝe in to þe heȝe place of þe erþe, and þe ſed of hym heeld þe eritage. And alle þe ſonus of Irael ſeȝen, for it is good to obeſhe to þe hoeli God. And alle þe iugis bi þer name, of whom þe herte is not corrupt, þe whiche ben not turned awei fro þe Lord; þat þe mynde of hem be in bleſſing, and þe boenes of hem buriounen fro þer place; and þe name of hem abit ſtille in to wiþ oute ende, þe glorie of hoely men abidende ſtille to þe ſonus of hem. Samuel, þe profete of þe Lord, looued of þe Lord his God, renewede þe empire, and enoyntede princes in his folc.

In þe lawe of þe Lord he demede þe congregacioun, and he ſaȝ þe Lord of Jacob, and in his feiþ he is proued a profete. And he is knowen in his wrdis feiþful, for he ſaȝ þe Lord of liȝt. And he inwardly clepide þe almyȝty Lord, in aȝenfiȝting þe enemys aboute ſtondende on eche ſide, in þe offring of þe man vndefoulid. And þe Lord þundrede in fro heuene, in a gret ſoun his vois he made herd. And he to-trad þe princes of Tyres, and alle þe dukes of Filiſteys. And bifore þe tyme of þe ende of his lif, and he ȝaf witneſſing of þe world, in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord, and of Criſt; monees and vnto þe ſhon, of alle fleſh he toc not; and þer acuſide hym not a man.

And aftir þat he ſlepte, and made knowen to þe kyng, and ſhewede to hym þe ende of his lif; and enhauncede his vois fro þe erþe in profecie, to don awey þe vnpitouſte of þe folc.