Sirach 28

¹ He that hath merci, and techith, and chastisith as a scheepherde his floc, ² do merci, takynge the techyng of merciful doyng; and he that hastith in the domes therof. ³ Sone, in goodis yyue thou not pleynt, and in ech yifte yyue thou not heuynesse of an yuel word. ⁴ Whether dew schal not kele heete? so and a word is betere than yifte. ⁵ Lo! whether a word is not aboue a good yifte? but euer ethir is with a man iustified. ⁶ A fool schal vpbreide scharpli; and the yifte of an vntauyt man makith iyen to faile. ⁷ Bifore the doom make thou redi riytfulnesse to thee; and lerne thou, bifore that thou speke. ⁸ Bifore sikenesse yyue thou medicyn; and bifore the doom axe thi silf, and thou schalt fynde merci in the siyt of God. ⁹ Bifore sikenesse make the meke, and in the tyme of sikenesse schewe thi lyuyng. ¹⁰ Be thou not lettid to preye euere, and drede thou not to be iustified til to deth; for whi the meede of God dwellith with outen ende. ¹¹ Bifore preier make redi thi soule; and nyle thou be as a man that temptith God. ¹² Haue thou mynde of ire in the dai of endyng; and make thou in lyuyng the tyme of yelding. ¹³ Haue thou mynde of pouert in the dai of abundaunce; and the nede of pouert in the tyme of richessis. ¹⁴ Fro the morewtid `til to the euentid the tyme schal be chaungid; and alle these thingis ben swift in the iyen of God. ¹⁵ A wise man schal drede in alle thingis; and in the daies of trespassis he schal fle fro vnkunnyng, ether slouthe. ¹⁶ Ech fel man knowith wisdom; and to hym that fyndith it, he schal yyue knouleching. ¹⁷ Witti men in wordis also thei diden wiseli, and vndurstoden treuthe, and riytfulnesse; and bisouyten prouerbis and domes. ¹⁸ Go thou not aftir thi coueitises; and be thou turned awei fro thi wille. ¹⁹ If thou yyuest to thi soule the coueitisis therof, it schal make thee in to ioie to thin enemyes. ²⁰ Delite thou not in cumpenyes, nether in litle cumpenyes; for whi the synnyng of hem is contynuel. ²¹ Be thou not meene in the stryuyng of looue, and sum thing is to thee in the world; for whi thou schalt be enuyouse to thi soule. ²³ A drunkelew werk man schal not be maad riche; and he that chargith not litle synnes, fallith doun litil and litil. ²⁴ Wyn and wymmen maken to be apostataas, yhe, wise men; and thei repreuen witti men. ²⁵ And he that ioyneth hym silf to hooris, schal be wickid; rot and wormes schulen enherite hym, and he schal be set an hiy in to more ensaumple, and his soule schal be takun awei fro noumbre. ²⁶ He that bileueth soone, is vnstable in herte, and schal be maad lesse; and he that trespassith ayens his soule, schal be had ferthermore.