Sirach 24
Sirach chapter 24 from the John Wycliffe Bible (c.1395)
1 To what othere man schal he be good, which is wickid to hym silf? and he schal not be myrye in hise goodis. 2 No thing is worse, than he that hath enuye to hym silf; and this is the yelding of his malice. 3 And if he doith good, he doith vnwityngli, and not wilfuli; and at the laste he schewith his malice. 4 The iye of an enuyous man is wickid, and turnynge awei the face, and dispisynge his soule. 5 The iye of the coueitouse man is neuere fillid; he schal not be fillid in to the part of wickidnesse, til he performe vnriytfulnesse, and make drie his soule. 6 An yuel iye to yuels, and the nedi man schal not be fillid of breed; and he schal be in sorewe on his table. 7 Sone, if thou hast, do wel with thi silf, and offre thou worthi offryngis to God. 8 Be thou myndeful that deth schal not tarie, and the testament of hellis, which is schewid to thee; for whi the testament of this world schal die bi deth. 9 Bifore deth do thou good to thi frend, and bi thi miytis stretche thou forth, and yyue to a pore man. 10 Be thou not disseyued of a good dai, and a litil part of a good day passe not thee. 11 Whether thou schalt not leeue to othere men thi sorewis, and trauels? 12 In the departyng of lot yyue thou, and take; and iustifie thi soule. 13 Bifore thi deth worche thou riytfulnesse; for at hellis it is not to fynde mete. 14 Ech man schal wexe eld as hey, and as a leef bryngynge fruit in a greene tree. 15 Othere ben gendrid, and othere ben cast doun; so the generacioun of fleisch and blood, another is endid, and another is borun. 16 Ech corruptible werk schal faile in the ende; and he that worchith it, schal go with it. 17 And al chosun werk schal be iustified; and he that worchith it, schal be onourid in it. 18 Blessid is the man, that schal dwelle in wisdom, and that schal bithenke in riytfulnesse, and schal thenke in wit the biholding of God. 19 Which thenkith out, ether fyndith out, the weies of hym in his herte, and schal be vndurstondynge in the hid thingis of hym; goynge as a serchere aftir it, and stondynge in the weies of it. 20 Which biholdith bi the wyndows therof, and herith in the yatis therof; 21 which restith nyy the hous therof, and settith a stak in the wallis therof. He schal sette his litil hous at the hondis of hym, and goodis schulen reste in his litil hous, bi duryng of the world; 22 he schal sette hise sones vndur the hilyng therof, and he schal dwelle vndur the boowis therof; 23 he schal be kyuerid vndur the hilyng therof fro heete, and he schal reste in the glorie therof. 25 He that dredith God, schal do goode werkis; and he that holdith riytfulnesse, schal take it. 26 And it as a modir onourid schal meete hym, and as a womman fro virgynyte it schal take hym. 27 It shal feede hym with the breed of lijf, and of vndurstonding; and it schal yyue drynke to hym with watir of heelful wisdom; it schal be maad stidfast in hym, and he schal not be bowid. 28 And it schal holde hym, and he schal not be schent; and it schal enhaunse hym at his neiyboris. 29 And in the myddis of the chirche he schal opene his mouth; and God schal fille hym with the spirit of wisdom, and of vndurstonding, and schal clothe hym with the stoole of glorie. 30 God schal tresore on hym myrthe, and ful out ioiyng; and schal enherite hym with euerlastynge name. 31 Fonned men schulen not take that wisdom, and witti men schulen meete it. Fonned men schulen not se it; for whi it goith awey fer fro pride, and gile. 32 Men leesyngmongeris schulen not be myndful therof, and sothefast men ben foundun ther ynne; and schulen haue prosperite `til to the biholding of God. 33 Preisyng is not fair in the mouth of a synnere, for he is not sent of the Lord. 34 For whi wisdom yede forth fro God; forsothe heriyng schal stonde nyy the wisdom of God, and it schal be plenteuouse in a feithful mouth, and the Lord schal yyue it to him.
