Wycliffe - Sirach - 11

11:1  The wisdom of a man maad meke schal enhaunse his heed; and schal make hym to sitte in the middis of grete men.

11:2  Preise thou not a man in his fairnesse; nether dispise thou a man in his siyt.

11:3  A bee is litil among briddis; and his fruyt hath the bigynnyng of swetnesse.

11:4  Haue thou neuere glorie in clothing, and be thou not enhaunsid in the dai of thin onour; for whi the werkis of the hiyeste aloon ben wondurful, and hise werkis ben gloriouse, and hid, and vnseyn.

11:5  Many tyrauntis han sete in trone; and a man of whom was no supposyng bar the diademe.

11:6  Many myyty men ben oppressid strongli; and gloriouse men ben youun in to the hondis of othere men.

11:7  Bifore that thou axe, blame thou not ony man; and whanne thou hast axid, blame thou iustli.

11:8  Bifor that thou here, answere thou not a word; and in the myddis of eldere men adde thou not to speke.

11:9  Stryue thou not, of that thing that disesith not thee; and stonde thou not in the dom of synnes.

11:10  Sone, thi dedis be not in many thingis; and if thou art riche, thou schalt not be with out part of gilt. For if thou suest, thou schalt not take; and thou schalt not ascape, if thou rennist bifore.

11:11  Ther is a man trauelynge, and hastynge, and sorewynge, and vnpitouse; and bi so myche more he schal not haue plentee.

11:12  Ther is a man fade, nedi of rekyueryng, failynge more in vertu, and plenteuouse in pouert;

11:13  and the iye of God bihelde hym in good, and reiside hym fro his lownesse, and enhaunsid his heed; and many men wondriden in him, and onouriden God.

11:14  Goodis and yuels, lijf and deth, pouert and oneste, ben of God.

11:15  Wisdom, and lernyng, and kunnyng of the lawe ben anentis the Lord; loue and the weies of goode men ben at him.

11:16  Errour and derknessis ben maad togidere to synneris; forsothe thei that maken ful out ioye in yuel, wexen eld togidere in to yuels.

11:17  The yifte of God dwellith to iust men; and encreessyngis of hym schulen haue prosperitees without ende.

11:18  A man is that is maad riche in doynge scarsli, and this is the part of his mede,

11:19  in that that he seith, Y haue founden reste to me, and now Y aloone schal ete of my goodis.

11:20  And he noot that tyme passith hym, and deth neiyeth, and he schal leeue alle thingis to othere men, and schal die.

11:21  Stonde thou in thi testament, and speke thou togidere in it; and wexe thou eld in the werk of thin heestis.

11:22  Dwelle thou not in the werkis of synneris; but triste thou in God, and dwelle in thi place.

11:23  For it is esy in the iyen of God, sudeynli to make onest a pore man.

11:24  The blessing of God haastith in to the meede of a iust man; and the going forth of hym makith fruyt in swift onour.

11:25  Seie thou not, What is nede to me? and what goodis schulen be me her aftir?

11:26  Seie thou not, Y am sufficient, and what schal Y be maad worse heraftir?

11:27  In the dai of goodis be thou not vnmyndeful of yuels, and in the dai of yuels be thou not vnmyndeful of goodis;

11:28  for it is esi bifor God to yelde in the dai of deth to ech man aftir hise weies.

11:29  The malice of oon our makith foryeting of moost letcherie; and in the ende of a man is makyng nakid of hise werkis.

11:30  Preise thou not ony man bifore his deth; for whi a man is knowun in hise sones.

11:31  Brynge thou not ech man in to thin hous; for whi many tresouns ben of a gileful man.

11:32  For whi as the entrailis of stynkynge thingis breken out, and as a partrich is led in to a trap, ether net, and as a capret is led in to a snare, so and the herte of proude men; and as a biholdere seynge the fal of his neiybore.

11:33  For he turneth goodis in to yuels, and settith tresouns, and puttith a wem on chosun men.

11:34  Fier is encreessid of a sparcle, and blood is encreessid of a gileful man; for whi a synful man settith tresoun to blood.

11:35  Take heede to thee fro a gileful man, for he makith yuels; lest perauenture he bringe yn on thee scornyng with outen ende.

11:36  Resseyue thou an alien to thee, and he schal distrie thee in whirlwynd, and he schal make thee alien fro thin owne weies.