Wycliffe - Sirach - 2

2:1  Sone, neiyynge to the seruyce of God, stonde thou in riytfulnesse, and drede; and make redi thi soule to temptacioun.

2:2  Bere doun thin herte, and suffre, and bowe doun thin eere, and take the wordis of vndirstonding, and haaste thou not in to the tyme of deeth.

2:3  Suffre thou the susteynyngis of God; be thou ioyned to God, and abide thou, that thi lijf wexe in the last tyme.

2:4  Take thou alle thing that is set to thee, and suffre thou in sorewe, and haue thou pacience in thi lownesse.

2:5  For whi gold and siluer is preued in fier; forsothe men worthi to be resseyued ben preued in the chymeney of lownesse.

2:6  Bileue thou to God, and he schal rekeuere thee; and dresse thou thi weie, and hope thou in to hym. Kepe thou his drede, and wexe thou eld ther ynne.

2:7  Ye that dreden the Lord, abide his merci, and boowe ye not awei fro hym, lest ye falle doun.

2:8  Ye that dreden the Lord, bileue to hym, and youre mede schal not be auoidid.

2:9  Ye that dreden the Lord, hope into hym, and merci schal come to you into delityng.

2:10  Ye that dreden the Lord, loue hym, and youre hertis schulen be liytned.

2:11  Sones, biholde ye the naciouns of men, and wite ye, that no man hopide in the Lord, and was schent;

2:12  noon dwellide in hise heestis, and was forsakun; ether who inwardli clepide hym, and he despiside hym `that clepide?

2:13  For whi God is pitouse, and merciful, and he schal foryyue synnes in the dai of tribulacioun; and he is defendere to alle men, that seken hym in treuthe.

2:14  Woo to the `man with double herte, and with cursid lippis, and misdoynge hondys; and to a synnere entrynge in to the lond bi twei weies.

2:15  Wo to hem that ben dissolute of herte, that bileuen not to God; and therfor thei schulen not be defendid of him.

2:16  Wo to hem that han lost pacience, and that han forsake riytful weies, and han turned awei in to schrewid weies.

2:17  And what schulen thei do, whanne the Lord schal bigynne to biholde?

2:18  Thei that dreden the Lord, schulen not be vnbileueful to his word; and thei that louen hym, schulen kepe his weie.

2:19  Thei that dreden the Lord, schulen enquere tho thingis, that ben wel plesaunt to hym; and thei that louen him, schulen be fillid with his lawe.

2:20  Thei that dreden the Lord, schulen make redi her hertis, and schulen halewe her soulis in his siyt.

2:21  Thei that dreden the Lord, schulen kepe hise comaundementis, and schulen haue pacience til to the biholdyng of hym;

2:22  and schulen seie, If we doon not penaunce, we schulen falle in to the hondis of the Lord, and not in to the hondis of men.

2:23  For bi the greetnesse of hym, so and his merci is with hym.