Wycliffe - Wisdom - 7

7:1  Forsothe and Y am a deedli man, lijk men, and of erthli kynde of hym that was maad first, and in the wombe of the modir Y was fourmed fleische.

7:2  In the time of ten monethis Y was cruddid togidere in blood, of the seed of man, and bi acordynge delit of sleep.

7:3  And Y was borun, and took comyn eir, and in lijk maner Y felle doun in to the erthe maad; and Y wepynge sente out the firste vois, lijk alle men.

7:4  Y was nurschid in wrappyngis, and in greet bisynesses;

7:5  for whi no man of kyngis hadde othere bigynnyng of birthe.

7:6  Therfor oon entryng to lijf is to alle men, and lijk goyng out.

7:7  Herfor Y desiride, and wit was youun to me; and Y inwardli clepide, and the spirit of wisdom cam in to me.

7:8  And Y settide wisdom bifore rewmes, and seetis; and Y seide, that richessis ben nouyt in comparisoun therof,

7:9  and Y comparisonede not a preciouse stoon to it; forwhi al gold in comparisoun therof is a litil grauel, and siluer schal be arettid as cley in the siyt therof.

7:10  Y louyde wisdom more than helthe and fairnesse; and Y purposide to haue it for liyt, for the liyt therof may not be quenchid.

7:11  Forsothe alle goodis camen togidere to me with it; and vnnoumbrable oneste is by the werkys therof.

7:12  And Y was glad in alle thingis; for this wisdom yede bifore me, and Y knew not, for it is the modir of alle goodis.

7:13  Which wisdom Y lernyde with out feynyng, and Y comyne without enuye; and Y hide not the oneste therof.

7:14  For it is tresour with out noumbre to men, and thei, that vsiden that tresour, weren maad parceneris of Goddis frenschip, and weren preisid for the yiftis of kunnyng.

7:15  Forsothe God yaf to me to seie of sentence, and to bifore take worthi thingis of these thingis that ben youun to me; for he is the ledere of wisdom, and amendere of wise men.

7:16  For whi bothe we, and oure wordis, and al wisdom, and lernyng of kunnyng of werkis ben in his hond.

7:17  Forsothe he yaf to me the veri kunnyng of these thingis that ben, that Y knowe the disposicioun of the world, and the vertues of elementis;

7:18  the bigynnyng, and the endyng, and the myddil of tymes; the chaungyngis of whilis, and the endyngis of tymes; the chaungyngis of maneres, and departyngis of tymes; the coursis of the yeer,

7:19  and the disposiciouns of sterris;

7:20  the kyndis of beestis, and the wraththis of wielde beestis; the strengthe of wyndis, and the thouytis of men; the differences of trees, and the vertues of rootis.

7:21  And Y lernede what euer thingis ben hid and vnpurueyed; for whi wisdom, the crafti maker of alle thingis, tauyte me.

7:22  For in that wisdom vnmaad is the spirit of vndurstonding, hooli, many fold, oon aloone, sutil, temperat, wijs, mouable, vndefoulid, certeyn, swete, louynge a good dede, which spirit forbedith no thing to do wel;

7:23  curteis, benynge, stable, sikur, hauynge al vertu, biholdynge alle thingis, and which takith alle spiritis able to vndurstonde, and he is clene, and sutil.

7:24  For whi wisdom is more mouable than alle mouable thingis; forsothe it stretchith forth euery where, for his clennesse.

7:25  For it is a brething of Goddis vertu, and it is sum cleene comyngforth of the clerenesse of Almiyti God;

7:26  and therfor no defoulid thing renneth in to it. For it is briytnesse of euerlastynge liyt, and it is a myrrour with out wem of Goddis maieste, and it is an ymage of his goodnesse.

7:27  And whanne it is oon, it may alle thingis; and it dwellith in it silf, and renulith alle thingis, and bi naciouns it berith ouer it silf in to hooli soulis; it makith the frendis of God and profetis.

7:28  For God loueth no man, no but hym that dwellith with wisdom.

7:29  Forwhi this wisdom is fairere than the sunne, and is aboue al the disposicioun of sterris; wisdom comparisound to liyt, is foundun the formere.

7:30  Forwhi niyt cometh aftir that liyt; but wysdom ouercometh malice.