Ecclesiastes 9

¹ Iust men han abhomynacioun of a wickid man; and wickid men han abhomynacioun of hem, that ben in a riytful weye. A sone kepynge a word, schal be out of perdicioun. ³ The wordis of hym that gaderith, of the sone spuynge. The prophesie which a man spak, with whom God was, and which man was coumfortid bi God dwellyng with hym, ⁴ and seide, Y am the moost fool of men; and the wisdom of men is not with me. ⁵ Y lernede not wisdom; and Y knew not the kunnyng of hooli men. ⁶ Who stiede in to heuene, and cam doun? Who helde togidere the spirit in hise hondis? who bonde togidere watris as in a cloth? Who reiside alle the endis of erthe? What is name of hym? and what is the name of his sone, if thou knowist? ⁷ Ech word of God is a scheld set a fiere, to alle that hopen in hym. ⁸ Adde thou not ony thing to the wordis of hym, and thou be repreued, and be foundun a liere. ⁹ I preiede thee twei thingis; denye not thou to me, bifor that Y die. ¹⁰ Make thou fer fro me vanyte and wordis of leesyng; yyue thou not to me beggery and richessis; yyue thou oneli necessaries to my lijflode; ¹¹ lest perauenture Y be fillid, and be drawun to denye, and seie, Who is the Lord? and lest Y compellid bi nedynesse, stele, and forswere the name of my God. ¹² Accuse thou not a seruaunt to his lord, lest perauenture he curse thee, and thou falle doun. ¹³ A generacioun that cursith his fadir, and that blessith not his modir. ¹⁴ A generacioun that semeth cleene to it silf, and netheles is not waischun fro hise filthis. ¹⁵ A generacioun whose iyen ben hiy, and the iye liddis therof ben reisid in to hiy thingis. ¹⁶ A generacioun that hath swerdis for teeth, and etith with hise wank teeth; that it ete nedi men of erthe, and the porails of men. ¹⁷ The watir leche hath twei douytris, seiynge, Brynge, bringe. Thre thingis ben vnable to be fillid, and the fourthe, that seith neuere, It suffisith; ¹⁸ helle, and the mouth of the wombe, and the erthe which is neuere fillid with water; but fier seith neuere, It suffisith.