Ecclesiastes 7

¹ He that gaderith togidere richessis bi vsuris, and fre encrees, gaderith tho togidere ayens pore men. ² His preyer schal be maad cursid, that bowith awei his eere; that he here not the lawe. ³ He that disseyueth iust men in an yuel weye, schal falle in his perisching; and iuste men schulen welde hise goodis. ⁴ A ryche man semeth wijs to him silf; but a pore man prudent schal serche him. ⁵ In enhaunsing of iust men is miche glorie; whanne wickid men regnen, fallyngis of men ben. ⁶ He that hidith hise grete trespassis, schal not be maad riytful; but he that knoulechith and forsakith tho, schal gete merci. ⁷ Blessid is the man, which is euere dredeful; but he that is harde of soule, schal falle in to yuel. 8 A rorynge lioun, and an hungry bere, is a wickid prince on a pore puple. 9 A duyk nedi of prudence schal oppresse many men bi fals chalenge; but the daies of hym that hatith aueryce, schulen be maad longe. 10 No man susteyneth a man that falsly chalengith the blood of a man, if he fleeth til to the lake. ¹¹ He that goith simpli, schal be saaf; he that goith bi weiward weies, schal falle doun onys. ¹² He that worchith his lond, schal be fillid with looues; he that sueth ydelnesse, schal be fillid with nedynesse. ¹³ A feithful man schal be preisid myche; but he that hastith to be maad riche, schal not be innocent. ¹⁴ He that knowith a face in doom, doith not wel; this man forsakith treuthe, yhe, for a mussel of breed. ¹⁵ A man that hastith to be maad riche, and hath enuye to othere men; woot not that nedinesse schal come on hym. ¹⁶ He that repreueth a man, schal fynde grace aftirward at hym; more than he that disseyueth bi flateryngis of tunge. ¹⁷ He that withdrawith ony thing fro his fadir and fro his modir, and seith that this is no synne, is parcener of a manquellere. ¹⁸ He that auauntith hym silf, and alargith, reisith stryues; but he that hopith in the Lord, schal be sauyd. ¹⁹ He that tristith in his herte, is a fool; but he that goith wiseli, ²⁰ schal be preysid. He that yyueth to a pore man, schal not be nedi; he that dispisith a pore man bisechynge, schal suffre nedynesse. 21 Whanne vnpitouse men risen, men schulen be hid; whanne tho vnpitouse men han perischid, iust men schulen be multiplied. ²³ Sodeyn perischyng schal come on that man, that with hard nol dispisith a blamere; and helth schal not sue hym. ²⁴ The comynalte schal be glad in the multipliyng of iust men; whanne wickid men han take prinshod, the puple schal weyle. ²⁵ A man that loueth wisdom, makith glad his fadir; but he that nurschith `an hoore, schal leese catel. ²⁶ A iust king reisith the lond; an auerouse man schal distrie it. ²⁷ A man that spekith bi flaterynge and feyned wordis to his frend; spredith abrood a net to hise steppis. ²⁸ A snare schal wlappe a wickid man doynge synne; and a iust man schal preise, and schal make ioye. ²⁹ A iust man knowith the cause of pore men; an vnpitouse man knowith not kunnyng.