Sirach 19

¹ Turne awei thi face fro a womman wel arayed; and biholde thou not aboute the fairnesse of othere. 2 Many men han perischid for the fairnesse of a womman; and herbi couetise brenneth an hiy as fier. 3 Ech womman which is an hoore, ethir customable to fornycacioun, schal be defoulid as a fen in the weie. 4 Many men wondrynge on the fairnesse of an alien womman weren maad repreuable, for whi the speche of hir brenneth an hiy as fier. 5 Sitte thou not in ony maner with an alien womman, nether reste thou with hir on a bed; 6 and iangle thou not with hir in wyn, lest perauenture thin herte boowe in to hir, and thou falle in to perdicioun bi thi blood. 7 Forsake thou not an eld frend; for a newe frend schal not be lijk hym. 8 Newe wijn is a newe frend; it schal wexe eld, and thou schalt drinke it with swetnesse. 9 Coueyte thou not the glorie and richessis of a synnere; for thou noost, what distriyng of hym schal come. 10 The wrong of vniust men plese not thee, and wite thou that a wickid man schal not plese til to hellis. 11 Be thou fer fro a man that hath power to sle, and thou schalt not haue suspicioun of the drede of deth; 12 and if thou neiyest to hym, nyle thou do ony trespasse, lest perauenture he take awei thi lijf. 13 Knowe thou the comynyng of deth; for thou schalt entre in to the myddis of snaris, and thou schalt go on the armuris of hem that sorewen. 14 Bi thi vertu kepe thee fro thi neiybore; and trete thou with wise men and prudent men. 15 Just men be gestis, ethir mete feris, to thee; and gloriyng be to thee in the dreed of God. ¹⁶ And the thouyt of God be to thee in wit; and al thi tellynge be in the heestis of the hiyeste. ¹⁷ Werkis schulen be preisid in the hond of crafti men, and the prince of the puple in the wisdom of his word; forsothe in the wit of eldere men a word. ¹⁸ A man, a ianglere, is dredeful in his citee; and a fool hardi man in his word schal be hateful. ²⁰ A wijs iuge schal deme his puple; and the prinshed of a witti man schal be stidfast. ²¹ Aftir the iuge of the puple, so and hise mynystris; and what maner man is the gouernour of the citee, siche ben also men dwellinge ther ynne. ²² An vnwijs king schal leese his puple; and citees schulen be enhabitid bi the wit of prudent men. ²³ The power of erthe is in the hond of God, and al the wickidnesse of hethene men is abhomynable; and he schal reise a profitable gouernour at a tyme on it. ²⁴ The power of man is in the hond of God; and he schal sette his onour on the face of a wijs man in the lawe. ²⁵ Haue thou not mynde on al the wrong of the neiybore; and do thou no thing in the werkis of wrong. ²⁶ Pride is hateful bifore God and men; and al the wickidnesse of hethene men is abhomynable. ²⁷ A rewme is translatid fro a folk in to folk, for vnriytfulnessis, and wrongis, and dispisyngis, and dyuerse gilis. ²⁸ No thing is cursidere than an auerouse man. What art thou proude, thou erthe and aische? ²⁹ No thing is worse, than for to loue monei; for whi this man hath also his soule set to sale, for in his lijf he hath cast awei hise ynneste thingis. ³⁰ Ech power is schort lijf; lengere siknesse greueth the leche.