Ecclesiastes 10

¹ Thre thingis ben hard to me, and outirli Y knowe not the fourthe thing; ² the weye of an egle in heuene, the weie of a serpent on a stoon, the weie of a schip in the myddil of the see, and the weie of a man in yong wexynge age. ³ Siche is the weie of a womman auowtresse, which etith, and wipith hir mouth, and seith, Y wrouyte not yuel. ⁴ The erthe is moued bi thre thingis, and the fourthe thing, which it may not susteyne; ⁵ bi a seruaunt, whanne he regneth; bi a fool, whanne he is fillid with mete; ⁶ bi an hateful womman, whanne sche is takun in matrymonye; and bi an handmaide, whanne sche is eir of hir ladi. ⁷ Foure ben the leeste thingis of erthe, and tho ben wisere than wise men; ⁸ amtis, a feble puple, that maken redi mete in heruest to hem silf; ⁹ a hare, a puple vnmyyti, that settith his bed in a stoon; ¹⁰ a locust hath no kyng, and al goith out bi cumpanyes; an euete enforsith with hondis, ¹¹ and dwellith in the housis of kingis. ¹² Thre thingis ben, that goon wel, and the fourthe thing, that goith richeli. ¹³ A lioun, strongeste of beestis, schal not drede at the meetyng of ony man; ¹⁴ a cok gird the leendis, and a ram, and noon is that schal ayenstonde him. ¹⁵ He that apperith a fool, aftir that he is reisid an hiy; for if he hadde vndurstonde, he hadde sett hond on his mouth. ¹⁶ Forsothe he that thristith strongli teetis, to drawe out mylk, thristith out botere; and he that smytith greetli, drawith out blood; and he that stirith iris, bringith forth discordis. ¹⁸ The wordis of Lamuel, the king; the visioun bi which his modir tauyte hym. ¹⁹ What my derlyng? what the derlyng of my wombe? what the derlyng of my desiris? ²⁰ Yyue thou not thi catel to wymmen, and thi richessis to do awei kyngis.