Sirach 13

¹ And hard herte schal haue yuel in the laste tyme; and he that loueth perel, schal perische ther ynne. ² An herte that entrith bi tweie weies, schal not haue prosperitees, ether reste; and a man of schrewid herte schal be sclaundrid in tho. ³ A wickid herte schal be greuyd in sorewis; and a synnere schal hepe to do synne. 4 Helthe schal not be to the synagoge of proude men; for whi the thicke wode of synne schal be drawun out bi the roote in hem, and it schal not be vndurstondun. 5 The herte of a wise man is vndurstondun in wisdom, and a good eere schal here wisdom with al coueitise. 6 A wijs herte and able to vndurstonde schal absteyne it silf fro synnes, and schal haue prosperitees in the werkis of riytfulnesse. 7 Watir quenchith fier brennynge, and almes ayenstondith synnes. 8 And God, the biholdere of hym that yeldith grace, hath mynde aftirward; and he schal fynde stidefastnesse in the tyme of his fal. 10 Sone, defraude thou not the almes of a pore man, and turne not ouere thin iyen fro a pore man. 11 Dispise thou not an hungri man, and wraththe thou not a pore man in his nedynesse. 12 Turmente thou not the herte of a nedi man, and tarie thou not the yifte to a man that is set in angwisch. 13 Caste thou not awei the preiyng of a man set in tribulacioun, and turne not awei thi face fro a nedi man. 14 Turne not awei thi iyen fro a pore man for ire, and yyue not occasioun to men axynge to curse thee byhynde. 15 For the preyer of hym that cursith thee in the bitternesse of soule, schal be herd; forsothe he that made hym, schal here hym. 16 Make thee eesi to speke to the congregacioun of pore men, and make meke thi soule to a preest, and make meke thin heed to a greet man. 17 Boowe doun with out sorewe thin eere to a pore man, and yelde thi debt, and answere thou pesibli in myldenesse. 18 Delyuere thou hym that suffrith wrong fro the hond of a proude man, and bere thou not heuyli in thi soule. 19 In demynge be thou merciful as a fadir to fadirles children, and be thou for an hosebonde to the modir of hem; 20 and thou schalt be as an obedient sone of the hiyeste, and he schal haue merci on thee more than a modir hath merci on hir child. ²¹ Wisdom enspirith lijf to hise sones, and resseyueth men sekinge hym, and schal go bifore in the wei of riytfulnesse; and he that loueth that wisdom, ²² loueth lijf, and thei that waken to it, schulen biclipe the pesiblenesse, ether swetnesse, therof. ²³ Thei that holden it, schulen enherite lijf; and whidir it schal entre, God schal blesse. ²⁴ Thei that seruen it, schulen be obeiynge to the hooli; and God loueth hem, that louen it. ²⁵ He that herith it, demeth folkis; and he that biholdith it, schal dwelle tristili. ²⁶ If a man bileueth to it, he schal dwelle, and enherite it; and the creaturis of hem schulen be in confermyng.