Wycliffe - Sirach - 44

44:1  Preise we gloriouse men, and oure fadris in her generacioun.

44:2  The Lord made myche glorie bi his greet doyng, fro the world.

44:3  Grete men in vertu weren lordis in her poweris, and riche in her prudence; tellynge in profetis the dignete of profetis, and comaundynge in present puple,

44:4  and tellynge hoolieste wordis to puplis, bi the vertu of prudence.

44:5  Sekynge maneres of musik in her childhod, and tellynge songis of scripturis.

44:6  Riche men in vertu, hauynge the studie of fairnesse, makynge pees in her housis.

44:7  Alle these men gaten glorie in the generaciouns of her folk; and ben had in preysyngis in her daies.

44:8  Thei that weren borun of hem, leften a name to telle the preisyngis of hem.

44:9  And summe ben, of whiche is no mynde; thei perischiden as thei that weren not, and thei weren borun as not borun; and her sones perischiden with hem.

44:10  But also tho men of mercy ben, whose pitees failiden not;

44:11  and good eritage dwellide contynueli with the seed of hem.

44:12  And the seed of her sones sones stood in testament,

44:13  and the eritage of her sones dwellith for hem, til in to with outen ende; the seed of hem, and the glorie of hem, schal not be forsakun.

44:14  The bodies of hem ben biried in pees; and the name of hem schal lyue in to generaciouns and generaciouns.

44:15  Puplis tellen the wisdom of hem; and the chirche tellith the preysyng of hem.

44:16  Enok pleside God, and was translatid in to paradis, that he yyue wisdom to folkis.

44:17  Noe was foundun parfit and iust, and he was maad recouncelynge in the tyme of wrathfulnesse.

44:18  Therfor residue seed was left to erthe, whanne the greet flood was maad.

44:19  Testamentis of the world weren set anentis hym, lest al fleisch myyte be doon awei bi the greet flood.

44:20  Abraham was the greet fadir of the multitude of folkis; and noon was foundun lijk hym in glorie, which kepte the lawe of hiy God, and was in the testament with hym.

44:21  He made a testament to stonde in his fleisch; and he was foundun feithful in temptacioun.

44:22  Therfor God with an ooth yaf to hym glorie in his folk; God made hym to encreesse, as an heep of erthe,

44:23  and to enhaunse his seed as sterris, and to enherite hem fro the see `til to the see, and fro the flood `til to the endis of erthe.

44:24  And to Isaac God dide in the same maner, for Abraham, his fadir.

44:25  The Lord yaf to hym the blessing of alle folkis; and confermyde his testament on the heed of Jacob.

44:26  He knew hym in hise blessyngis, and yaf eritage to hym; and departide to hym a part in twelue lynagis.

44:27  And he kepte to hym men of merci, fyndynge grace in the siyt of eche man.