Sirach 2

¹ of whiche beestis not oneli the hirtyng myyte distrie hem, but also the siyt myyte sle bi drede. ² For whi and with oute these beestis thei myyten be slayn bi o spirit, and suffre persecucioun of tho her owne dedis, and be scaterid by the spirit of thi vertu. But and thou hast disposid alle thingis in mesure, and in noumbre, and in weiyte; ³ for it was left euere to thee aloone to mow do myche; and who schal ayenstonde the vertu of thin arm? ⁴ For as the tunge of a balaunce, so is the world bifore thee; and as a drope of dew rysynge bifore the liyt, that cometh doun in to erthe. ⁵ And thou hast merci of alle thingis, for thou maist alle thingis; and thou dissymelist the synnes of men, for penaunce. ⁶ For thou louest alle thingis that ben, and thou hatist no thing of tho, that thou madist; for thou not hatynge ony thing ordeynedist, ether madist. ⁷ But hou myyte ony thing dwelle, `no but thou woldist? ether hou schulde a thing be kept, that were not clepid of thee? ⁸ But, Lord, that louest soulis, thou sparist alle thingis; for tho thingis ben thine. ¹⁰ Lord, hou good, and hou swete is thi Spirit in alle thingis; ¹¹ and therfor thou chastisist bi partis these men that erren; and thou monestist; of whiche thingis thei synnen, and thou spekist to hem, that whanne thei han forsake malice, thei bileue in thee, Lord. ¹² For thou woldist leese thilke elde dwelleris of thin hooli lond, whiche thou wlatidist; ¹³ for thei diden werkis hateful to thee, bi medicynes, and vniust sacrifices; ¹⁴ and the slears of her sones, with out merci, and eteris of entrailis of men, ¹⁵ and deuowreris of blood; and bi the hondis of oure fadris thou woldist leese fro thi myddil sacrament fadris and modris, autours of soulis vnhelpid; ¹⁶ that oure fadris schulden take the worthi pilgrymage of Goddis children, which is to thee the derewortheste lond of alle. ¹⁷ But also thou sparidist these as men, and thou sentist waspis, the bifore goeris of thin oost, that tho schulden destrie hem litil and litil. ¹⁸ Not for thou were vnmyyti to make wickid men suget to iust men in batel;