Sirach 23

¹ Take heede, lest thou be disseyued, and be maad lowe in foli. ² Nyle thou be lowe in thi wisdom, lest thou be maad low, and be disseyued in to foli. ³ Whanne thou art clepid of a miytiere man, go thou awei; for bi this he schal more clepe thee. ⁴ Be thou not greetli pressyng, lest thou be hurtlid doun; and be thou not fer fro hym, lest thou go in to foryetyng. ⁵ Witholde thou not to speke with hym euenli, and bileue thou not to hise many wordis; for of myche speche he schal tempte thee, and he schal leiye priuyli, and schal axe thee of thin hid thingis. ⁶ His cruel soule schal kepe thi wordis, and he schal not spare of malice, and of bondis. ⁷ Be war to thee, and take heede diligentli to thin heryng; for thou goist with thi distriyng. ⁸ But thou heringe tho thingis, se as in sleep, and thou schalt wake. ⁹ In al thi lijf loue thou God, and inwardli clepe thou him in thin heelthe. ¹⁰ Ech beeste loueth a beeste lijk it silf; so and ech man owith to loue his neiybore. ¹¹ Ech fleisch schal be ioyned to fleisch lijk it silf, and ech man schal be felouschipid to a man lijk hym silf. ¹² As a wulf schal comyne sum tyme with a lomb, so a synnere with a iust man. ¹³ What comininge is of an hooli man to a dogge? ethir what good part is of a riche man to a pore man? ¹⁴ The huntyng of a lioun is a wielde asse in desert; so the lesewis of riche men ben pore men. ¹⁵ And as mekenesse is abhomynacioun to a proude man, so and a pore man is abhomynacioun of a riche man. ¹⁶ A riche man moued is confermed of hise frendis; but a meke man, whanne he fallith, schal be cast out, yhe, of knowun men. ¹⁷ Many rekyuereris ben to a riche man disseyued; he spak proudli, and thei iustifieden hym. ¹⁸ A meke man is disseiued, ferthermore also he is repreuyd; he spak wiseli, and no place was youun to hym. ¹⁹ The riche man spak, and alle men weren stille; and thei schulen brynge his word til to the cloudis. ²⁰ A pore man spak, and thei seien, Who is this? and if he offendith, thei schulen destrye hym. ²¹ Catel is good to hym, to whom is no synne in conscience; and `the worste pouert is in the mouth of a wickid man. ²² The herte of a man chaungith his face, ethir in good ethir in yuel. ²³ Of hard and with trauel thou schalt fynde the step of a good herte, and a good face. ²⁵ Blessid is the man, that stood not bi the word of his mouth, and was not prickid in the sorewe of trespas. ²⁶ He is blessid, that hath not sorewe of his soule, and fallith not doun fro his hope. ²⁷ Catel is with out resoun to a coueitouse man, and hard nygard; and wherto is gold to an enuyouse man?