Sirach 20

¹ Forsothe whanne a man schal die, he schal enherite serpentis, and beestis, and wormes. ² The bigynnyng of pride of man was to be apostata fro God; ³ for his herte yede awei fro hym that made hym. For whi pride is the bigynnyng of al synne; he that holdith it, schal be fillid with cursyngis, and it schal distrye hym in to the ende. ⁴ Therfor the Lord hath schent the couentis of yuele men, and hath destried hem til in to the ende. 5 God destriede the seetis of proude duykis; and made mylde men to sitte for hem. 6 God made drie the rootis of proude folkis; and plauntide meke men of tho folkis. 7 The Lord destriede the londis of folkis; and loste tho til to the foundement. ⁸ He made drie the rootis of hem, and loste hem; and made the mynde of hem to ceesse fro the erthe. ⁹ God loste the mynde of proude men; and lefte the mynde of meke men in wit. ¹⁰ Pride was not maad to men; nether wrathfulnesse to the nacioun of wymmen. ¹¹ This seed of men that dredith God, schal be onourid; but this seed schal be disonourid, that passith the comaundementis of the Lord. ¹² In the myddis of britheren the gouernour of hem is in onour; and thei that dreden God, schulen be in hise iyen. ¹³ The glorie of riche men onourid and of pore men is the drede of God. ¹⁴ Nyle thou dispise a iust pore man; and nyle thou magnefie a riche synful man. ¹⁵ The iuge is greet, and is miyti in onour; and he is not grettere than that man that dredith God. ¹⁶ Fre children seruen a witti seruaunt; and a prudent man and lerned schal not grutche, whanne he is blamed, and an vnkunnynge man schal not be onourid. ¹⁷ Nyle thou enhaunse thee in thi werk to be don; and nyle thou be slow in the tyme of angwisch. ¹⁸ He is betere that worchith, and hath plente in alle thingis, than he that hath glorie, and nedith breed. ¹⁹ Sone, kepe thi soule in myldenesse; and yyue thou onour to it, aftir his merit. ²⁰ Who schal iustifie hym that synneth ayens his soule? and who schal onoure hym that disonourith his soule? ²¹ A pore man hath glorie bi his lernyng and drede; and ther is a man that is onourid for his catel. ²² Forsothe if a man hath glorie in pouert, hou myche more in catel? and he that hath glorie in catel, drede pouerte. ²⁴ The wisdom of a man maad meke schal enhaunse his heed; and schal make hym to sitte in the middis of grete men. ²⁵ Preise thou not a man in his fairnesse; nether dispise thou a man in his siyt. ²⁶ A bee is litil among briddis; and his fruyt hath the bigynnyng of swetnesse. ²⁷ Haue thou neuere glorie in clothing, and be thou not enhaunsid in the dai of thin onour; for whi the werkis of the hiyeste aloon ben wondurful, and hise werkis ben gloriouse, and hid, and vnseyn. ²⁸ Many tyrauntis han sete in trone; and a man of whom was no supposyng bar the diademe. ²⁹ Many myyty men ben oppressid strongli; and gloriouse men ben youun in to the hondis of othere men. ³⁰ Bifore that thou axe, blame thou not ony man; and whanne thou hast axid, blame thou iustli. ³¹ Bifor that thou here, answere thou not a word; and in the myddis of eldere men adde thou not to speke.