Wycliffe - Sirach - 18

18:1  He that lyueth with out bigynnyng and ende, made of nouyt alle thingis togidere; God alone schal be iustified, and he dwellith a king vnouercomun with outen ende.

18:2  Who schal suffice to telle out his werkis?

18:3  for whi who schal seke the grete thingis of hym?

18:4  But who schal telle out the vertu of his greetnesse? ether who schal leie to for to telle out his mercy?

18:5  It is not to make lesse, nether to leie to; nethir it is to fynde the grete thingis of God.

18:6  Whanne a man hath endid, thanne he schal bigynne; and whanne he hath restid, he schal worche.

18:7  What is a man, and what is the glorie of him? and what is good, ether what is the wickid thing of him?

18:8  The noumbre of the daies of men, that ben comynli an hundrid yeer, ben arettid as the dropis of the watir of the see; and as the stoon of grauel, so a fewe yeeris in the dai of euerlastyngnesse.

18:9  For this thing God is pacient in hem, and schedith out on hem his merci.

18:10  He siy the presumpcioun of her herte, for it was yuel; and he knew the distriyng of hem, for it was wickid.

18:11  Therfor he fillide his merci in hem, and schewide to hem the weie of equite.

18:12  The merciful doyng of man is aboute his neiybore; but the merci of the Lord is ouer ech fleisch.

18:13  He that hath merci, and techith, and chastisith as a scheepherde his floc,

18:14  do merci, takynge the techyng of merciful doyng; and he that hastith in the domes therof.

18:15  Sone, in goodis yyue thou not pleynt, and in ech yifte yyue thou not heuynesse of an yuel word.

18:16  Whether dew schal not kele heete? so and a word is betere than yifte.

18:17  Lo! whether a word is not aboue a good yifte? but euer ethir is with a man iustified.

18:18  A fool schal vpbreide scharpli; and the yifte of an vntauyt man makith iyen to faile.

18:19  Bifore the doom make thou redi riytfulnesse to thee; and lerne thou, bifore that thou speke.

18:20  Bifore sikenesse yyue thou medicyn; and bifore the doom axe thi silf, and thou schalt fynde merci in the siyt of God.

18:21  Bifore sikenesse make the meke, and in the tyme of sikenesse schewe thi lyuyng.

18:22  Be thou not lettid to preye euere, and drede thou not to be iustified til to deth; for whi the meede of God dwellith with outen ende.

18:23  Bifore preier make redi thi soule; and nyle thou be as a man that temptith God.

18:24  Haue thou mynde of ire in the dai of endyng; and make thou in lyuyng the tyme of yelding.

18:25  Haue thou mynde of pouert in the dai of abundaunce; and the nede of pouert in the tyme of richessis.

18:26  Fro the morewtid `til to the euentid the tyme schal be chaungid; and alle these thingis ben swift in the iyen of God.

18:27  A wise man schal drede in alle thingis; and in the daies of trespassis he schal fle fro vnkunnyng, ether slouthe.

18:28  Ech fel man knowith wisdom; and to hym that fyndith it, he schal yyue knouleching.

18:29  Witti men in wordis also thei diden wiseli, and vndurstoden treuthe, and riytfulnesse; and bisouyten prouerbis and domes.

18:30  Go thou not aftir thi coueitises; and be thou turned awei fro thi wille.

18:31  If thou yyuest to thi soule the coueitisis therof, it schal make thee in to ioie to thin enemyes.

18:32  Delite thou not in cumpenyes, nether in litle cumpenyes; for whi the synnyng of hem is contynuel.

18:33  Be thou not meene in the stryuyng of looue, and sum thing is to thee in the world; for whi thou schalt be enuyouse to thi soule.