Wycliffe - Ecclesiastes - 4

4:1  I turnede me to othere thingis, and Y siy fals chalengis, that ben don vndur the sunne, and the teeris of innocentis, and no man coumfortour; and that thei forsakun of the help of alle men, moun not ayenstonde the violence of hem.

4:2  And Y preiside more deed men than lyuynge men;

4:3  and Y demyde hym, that was not borun yit, and siy not the yuels that ben don vndur the sunne, to be blisfulere than euer eithir.

4:4  Eft Y bihelde alle the trauelis of men, and bisynesses; and Y perseyuede that tho ben opyn to the enuye of neiybore; and therfor in this is vanyte, and superflu bisynesse.

4:5  A fool foldith togidere hise hondis, and etith hise fleischis,

4:6  and seith, Betere is an handful with reste, than euer either hondful with trauel and turment of soule.

4:7  I bihelde and foond also another vanytee vndir the sunne;

4:8  oon is, and he hath not a secounde; not a sone, not a brother; and netheles he ceesith not for to trauele, nether hise iyen ben fillid with richessis; nether he bithenkith, and seith, To whom trauele Y, and disseyue my soule in goodis? In this also is vanyte, and the worste turment.

4:9  Therfor it is betere, that tweyne be togidere than oon; for thei han profite of her felouschipe.

4:10  If oon fallith doun, he schal be vndurset of the tothere; wo to hym that is aloone, for whanne he fallith, he hath noon reisynge him.

4:11  And if tweyne slepen, thei schulen be nurschid togidere; hou schal oon be maad hoot?

4:12  And if ony man hath maistri ayens oon, tweyne ayen stonden hym; a threfolde corde is brokun of hard.

4:13  A pore man and wijs is betere than an eld kyng and fool, that kan not bifore se in to tyme to comynge.

4:14  For sum tyme a man goith out bothe fro prysoun and chaynes to a rewme; and anothir borun in to a rewme is wastid bi nedynesse.

4:15  I siy alle men lyuynge that goen vndur the sunne, with the secounde yong wexynge man, that schal rise for hym.

4:16  The noumbre of puple, of alle that weren bifore hym, is greet with outen mesure, and thei that schulen come aftirward, schulen not be glad in hym; but also this is vanyte and turment of the spirit.

4:17  Thou that entrist in to the hous of God, kepe thi foot, and neiye thou for to here; for whi myche betere is obedience than the sacrifices of foolis, that witen not what yuel thei don.