Wycliffe - Sirach - 17

17:1  God formede man of erthe; and aftir his ymage he made man.

17:2  And eft he turnede man in to that ymage; and aftir hym silf he clothide hym with vertu.

17:3  He yaf to hym the noumbre of daies, and tyme; and he yaf to him power of tho thingis that ben on erthe.

17:4  He settide the drede of man on al fleisch, and he was lord of beestis and fliynge briddis.

17:5  He formyde of man an help lijk hym; he yaf to hem councel, and tunge, and iyen, and eeris, and herte to thenke out; and he fillide hem with techyng of vndurstondyng.

17:6  He made to hem the kunnyng of spirit, he fillide the herte of hem with wit; and he schewide to hem yuels and goodis.

17:7  He settide the iye of hem on the hertes of hem, to schewe to hem the grete thingis of hise werkis,

17:8  that thei preise togidere the name of halewyng; and to haue glorie in hise meruels, that thei telle out the grete thingis of hise werkis.

17:9  He addide to hem techyng; and he enheritide hem with the lawe of lijf.

17:10  He ordeynyde an euerlastynge testament with hem; and he schewide to hem hise riytfulnesse, and domes.

17:11  And the iye of hem siy the grete thingis of his onour, and the eeris of hem herden the onour of vois; and he seide to hem, Take heede to you fro al wickid thing.

17:12  And he comaundide to hem, to ech man of his neiybore.

17:13  The weies of hem ben euere bifore hym; tho ben not hid fro hise iyen.

17:14  On ech folk he made souereyn a gouernour;

17:15  and Israel was maad the opyn part of God.

17:16  And alle the werkis of hem ben as the sunne in the siyt of God; and hise iyen biholden with out ceessyng in the weies of hem.

17:17  Testamentis weren not hid fro the wickidnesse of hem; and alle the wickydnessis of hem weren in the siyt of God.

17:18  The almes of a man is as a bagge with hym, and it schal kepe the grace of a man as the appil of the iye;

17:19  and afterward man schal rise ayen, and it schal yelde to hem a yelding, to ech man in to the heed of hem; and schal turne in to the lower partis of erthe.

17:20  Forsothe it yaf to men repentinge the weie of riytfulnesse, and confermede men failynge to suffre, and ordeynede to hem the part of treuthe.

17:21  Turne thou to the Lord, and forsake thi synnes;

17:22  preye thou bifore the face of the Lord, and make thou lesse hirtingis.

17:23  Turne thou ayen to the Lord, and turne thou awei fro thin vnriytfulnesse, and hate thou greetli cursyng.

17:24  And knowe thou the riytfulnessis, and domes of God; and stonde thou in the part of good purpos, and of preier of the hiyeste God.

17:25  Go thou in to the partis of the hooli world, with men lyuynge, and yyuynge knouleching to God.

17:26  Dwelle thou not in the errour of wickid men. Knouleche thou bifore deth; knouleching perischith fro a deed man, as no thing.

17:27  Lyuynge thou schalt knouleche, lyuynge and hool thou schalt knowleche, and schalt herie God; and thou schalt haue glorie in the merciful doyngis of hym.

17:28  The merci of God is ful greet, and his help to hem that conuerten to hym.

17:29  For whi not alle thingis moun be in men; for whi the sone of man is not vndeedli, and malices plesiden in to vanyte.

17:30  What is clerere than the sunne? and this schal faile; ethir what is worse than that, that fleisch and blood thouyte out? and of this he schal be repreued.

17:31  He biholdith the vertu of hiynesse of heuene; and alle men ben erthe and aische.