Ecclesiastes · Chapter 50

[ edit] Symon, Onyes ſone, þe grete preſt, þat in his lif vnderſette þe hous, and in his daȝes ſtrengþede þe temple. Alſo þe heiȝte of þe temple of hym is foundid, þe double bilding, and þe heȝe walles of þe temple. In his daȝes ſprungen out þe pittes of watris; and as þe ſe þei ben fulfild ouer maner. Þat curede his folc, and delyuerede it fro perdicioun. Þat hadde þe maiſtrie to make large þe cite; þat gat glorie in to þe lyuynge of folc; and þe incomyng of þe hous, and of þe porche he made large.

As þe morutid ſterre in myddel of þe litle cloude, and as þe fulle moone in his daȝes he liȝtneþ; and as þe ſhynende ſunne, ſo he ſhyneþ out in þe temple of God; as þe aȝenſhynende bowe betwene þe litle cloudis of glorie, and as þe flour of roſes in þe daȝes of ver, and as lilies, þat ben in goyngus of water, and as cenſe ſmellende in þe daȝes of ſomyr; as fyr ſhynende out, and ſens brennende in fyr; as a maſſee veſſel of gold, enourned wiþ alle maner precious ſton; as a buriounende olyue, and cipreſſe in to heiȝte puttende out itſelf; in takynge hym þe ſtoele of glorie, and to be clad hym in þe ful endyng of vertue. In þe ſteȝyng vp of þe hoely auter, glorie he ȝaf þe amyſe of hoelyneſſe.

In takynge forſoþe partes of þe hond of preſtes, and he ſtondende biſide þe auter. Aboute hym þe croune of breþern, as þe plaunting of a ceder in Liban hil; ſo aboute hym þei ſtoden as palm braunches, and alle þe ſonus of Aron in þer glorie. Þe offring forſoþe of þe Lord in þe hondis of hem, biforn al þe gedering of Irael; and þe ful endyng vſyng in to þe auter, to make large þe offring of þe heȝe king, he ſtraȝte out his hond in þe ſacrifiyng of likoures; and he ſacrifiede in þe blod of a grape. He helde out in þe foundement of þe auter, godly ſmel to þe heȝe prince.

Þanne crieden out þe ſonus of Aron; in beten out trumpes þei ſouneden, and herd þei maden a gret vois in to þe mynde bifor God. Þanne al þe puple togidere wenten forþ, and fellen in to þe face vp on þe erþe, to honoure þe Lord þer God, and to ȝyue preȝeeres to þe almyȝty heȝe God. And þei largeden ſynging in þer voiſes; and in þe grete hous is mad a vois ful of ſwetneſſe. And þe puple preȝede þe heȝe Lord in preȝere, vn to þe tyme þat ful don is þe honour of þe Lord, and his ȝifte þei parformeden. Þanne comende doun, his hondis he putte out in to al þe congregacioun of þe ſonus of Irael, to ȝyue glorie to God of his lippes, and in his name to glorien.

And he rehercede. his oriſoun, willende to ſhewe þe vertue of God. And aftir eft more he preȝede þe God of alle, þat grete þingus dide in al erþe; þat encreſide oure daȝes fro þe wombe of oure moder, and dide wiþ vs aftir his mercy. Ȝyue he to vs inward ioȝe of herte, and to be mad pes in oure daȝes in Irael bi euere laſtende daȝes; Irael to leeuen, wiþ vs to ben þe mercy of God, þat he deliuere þem in þer daȝes. Two folkis hateþ my ſoule; þe þridde forſoþe is, þat noon more folc I ſhulde haten. Þat ſitten in þe hil of Seir, and Filiſteym, and þe fool puple, þat dwelliþ in Sichemys.

Þe doctrine of wiſdam, and of diſciplyne wrot in þis boc Jheſus, þe ſone of Sirac, Jeroſolomytane; þat renewede þe wiſdam of his herte. Blisful þat in þeſe goodus abit; þat putteþ þo þingus in his herte, wys ſhal ben euermor. If forſoþe þeſe þingus he ſhul do, to alle þingus he ſhal ben myȝty; for þe liȝt of God is þe ſtep of hym.