Sirach 27
Sirach chapter 27 from the John Wycliffe Bible (c.1395)
1 On ech folk he made souereyn a gouernour; 2 and Israel was maad the opyn part of God. 3 And alle the werkis of hem ben as the sunne in the siyt of God; and hise iyen biholden with out ceessyng in the weies of hem. 4 Testamentis weren not hid fro the wickidnesse of hem; and alle the wickydnessis of hem weren in the siyt of God. 5 The almes of a man is as a bagge with hym, and it schal kepe the grace of a man as the appil of the iye; 6 and afterward man schal rise ayen, and it schal yelde to hem a yelding, to ech man in to the heed of hem; and schal turne in to the lower partis of erthe. 7 Forsothe it yaf to men repentinge the weie of riytfulnesse, and confermede men failynge to suffre, and ordeynede to hem the part of treuthe. 8 Turne thou to the Lord, and forsake thi synnes; 9 preye thou bifore the face of the Lord, and make thou lesse hirtingis. 10 Turne thou ayen to the Lord, and turne thou awei fro thin vnriytfulnesse, and hate thou greetli cursyng. 11 And knowe thou the riytfulnessis, and domes of God; and stonde thou in the part of good purpos, and of preier of the hiyeste God. 12 Go thou in to the partis of the hooli world, with men lyuynge, and yyuynge knouleching to God. 13 Dwelle thou not in the errour of wickid men. Knouleche thou bifore deth; knouleching perischith fro a deed man, as no thing. 14 Lyuynge thou schalt knouleche, lyuynge and hool thou schalt knowleche, and schalt herie God; and thou schalt haue glorie in the merciful doyngis of hym. 15 The merci of God is ful greet, and his help to hem that conuerten to hym. 16 For whi not alle thingis moun be in men; for whi the sone of man is not vndeedli, and malices plesiden in to vanyte. 17 What is clerere than the sunne? and this schal faile; ethir what is worse than that, that fleisch and blood thouyte out? and of this he schal be repreued. 18 He biholdith the vertu of hiynesse of heuene; and alle men ben erthe and aische. 20 He that lyueth with out bigynnyng and ende, made of nouyt alle thingis togidere; God alone schal be iustified, and he dwellith a king vnouercomun with outen ende. 21 Who schal suffice to telle out his werkis? 22 for whi who schal seke the grete thingis of hym? 23 But who schal telle out the vertu of his greetnesse? ether who schal leie to for to telle out his mercy? 24 It is not to make lesse, nether to leie to; nethir it is to fynde the grete thingis of God. 25 Whanne a man hath endid, thanne he schal bigynne; and whanne he hath restid, he schal worche. 26 What is a man, and what is the glorie of him? and what is good, ether what is the wickid thing of him? 27 The noumbre of the daies of men, that ben comynli an hundrid yeer, ben arettid as the dropis of the watir of the see; and as the stoon of grauel, so a fewe yeeris in the dai of euerlastyngnesse. 28 For this thing God is pacient in hem, and schedith out on hem his merci. 29 He siy the presumpcioun of her herte, for it was yuel; and he knew the distriyng of hem, for it was wickid. 30 Therfor he fillide his merci in hem, and schewide to hem the weie of equite.
